Unpredictable
by DaHfreak
Summary: Naruto was unpredictable just like her name. Nobody could guess what she plans to do and the only person that knows what she is planning is herself. So she honestly didn't think that she would meet someone that had the same problems as her or that she would like said guy. Now only if she can keep it a secret from her teammates.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

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Konoha was the best village to live in if you were to ask everyone in Konoha, the villagers would say with pride that it was the only village that allowed the civilians to have a say of how the country should be run. The villagers weren't only proud of this but they were also proud about how strong they were and they boast about how their late Fourth Hokage defeated the Kyuubi.

Sadly, not everyone shares this same view. A prime example was Naruto Uzumaki, who would simply scoff at the villager's words. The blonde believed that the way the village was ran was a mockery on how a Hokage should be and in her eyes the villagers were monsters. Treating her like dirt and making her whole life miserable were one of the reasons why she believed that they were monsters.

However she would never say this to their face because in her opinion, it would cause a lot more trouble than it was worth. If the blue-eyed could, she would run away from this village but she couldn't not because she can't but she didn't had the heart to leave the kind old Hokage, a man she sees as her grandfather.

At times, she did wish that she did leave the village and see the rest of the world. Becoming a ninja would fulfill that; she didn't simply join the academy because of the fame like the other kids, she simply joined to get out of the civilian council hands and of course to see the world, emphasis of the world bit. The shinobi council wasn't completely bias to her and the Hokage could overrule them if things were to become bad.

In terms of skill, Naruto was a very capable ninja. She was good in taijutsu and was average in terms of ninjutsu and chakra control but had no talent in genjutsu. Her theory was good too and she excelled in Math's but only because she had to manage her own money. She never intentional cause trouble in class and only played pranks on the teachers that were bias to her. Poor Satsuki, he had been forced to quit after being her teacher for one year.

There were times when she felt the adults were waiting for her to snap as if they thought that she would kill them. It had taken her a while to figure out why they treated her the way they did. They thought that she was the Kyuubi but she was not the monster, never had she had the urge to kill. The monster would have killed them for the treatment but tempting as it was, she wouldn't do such a thing. Hurting them would not solve her problems, it would have made it even worse and she could understand why they treat her like this. You needed someone to blame for the people that you lost and what better person to blame than the container. It was wrong to blame her but it was understandable.

She was better than them as well in terms of moral. She had the chance to kill Mizuki for all the times that he had sabotage her learning but she didn't. Killing him would prove their idea of her being that monster right. Iruka had been so kind to her, telling her that he didn't believe that she was the monster. To him to recognize this fact made it seem the idea of them realizing the truth not to seem so silly. The Hokage had told her the same thing and it nearly made her cry, sometimes she hated the fact that she was human. Crying never solve problems, they just made it worse. Naruto know this really well, remembering all the times that she had cried to Kami about someone saving her from this hellhole. Nothing ever happened and she realized soon after that crying would not solve any problems.

Today was the genin orientation day and Naruto had chosen for once not to take her usual seat beside Sasuke instead opting to take a seat beside the timid Hyuga heiress. It was normally an entertainment to sit beside him, watching as the girls in their class fight for his attention but most of the time, those fangirls of his always seemed to pick on her. Claiming that she had a crush on the boy. Insane they were and it almost made her pity him but keyword being almost. The bastard did deserve it.

She also hadn't sat beside Hinata for a long time. It wasn't from the lack of trying but Kiba kept stealing her seat beside her friend. Hinata was very gentle not to tell that mutt that she didn't want to sit beside her but Naruto didn't complain. There was no way she wanted Hinata to change that aspect of herself.

The sound of latecomers nearing the classroom and their voices, made her winced. Glancing at Sasuke, Naruto curled her lips in amusement at the sight of the pale Uchiha looking even paler. It was no secret that the whole class had found it amusing to watch all the girls fighting over the Uchiha heir, the most amusing being Sakura and Ino.

Would their obsession with him fade over time? Naruto asked herself as she watched the two girls argue over who got inside the room first. Predictably, those two will soon argue over who is going to sit beside Sasuke.

Barely four minutes later, Sakura walked towards Sasuke and asked him if she could sit beside him, batting her eyelashes at him as she asked him. Naruto hid her mouth behind her hand to stop the urge to burst out into a fit of laughter when she saw Ino arguing with Sakura about how she deserve to sit beside Sasuke because she had been there first.

"I truly pity the poor bastard, Hinata." Naruto said to her friend.

"W-Who do you pity." Hinata asked, looking at her friend in confusion.

Naruto pointed at Sasuke, who had been looking at her for sometime to help him with his fangirls. "He had to deal with those insane fangirls of his."

"Naruto!" Hinata reprimanded but the amuse glint in her eyes told her that she didn't mind her choice of words. Naruto grinned and shrugged her shoulders at her only female friend in a way to suggest that it was only true. Which it was.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke for the second time that day. She sighed at the pleading look on his face and reluctantly got up to save his ass. They weren't friends but there was an understanding that she would help him manage the fangirls and he in turn would help her with the few fanboys that seemed to follow her. What they see in her, she would never know. Not once had she ever complemented them and Kami help her if she had ever told them that she agreed to go out on a date with them. She would kiss Sasuke before doing something insane as that. That should tell you how bad it was.

"Hinata-chan can you please make sure that no one steals my seat." The Hyuga heiress looked at her with confusion. "I have to deal with Bubblegum and Ino-pig as usual." Hinata sighed and nodded in understanding.

"The two of you do realized that there is another empty seat beside Sasuke," Naruto drawled as she drew their attention towards her. The two rivals glared at her but the blue-eyed girl ignored them. She pointed towards the other empty beside the raven-haired teen, who was now glaring at her.

"First off, who asked you chubby! Secondly it isn't the same." Ino argued.

"Yes!" Sakura agreed.

Curling her lips, Naruto leaned against the table and sighed. Their glare intensifies now radiating weak killer intent, frightening a couple of the boys around them but not the blonde. The said blonde was now carefully looking at the seats before looking at the two girls in annoyance.

"I see no other way to solve this problem for you," Naruto answered stiffly. "Unless, one of you want to sit beside Shikamaru and Choji so choose your seat now!" The two girls looked at each other and reluctantly took their seats beside Sasuke.

Sakura took her seat on Sasuke's left while Ino took a seat on his right. Neither of them were happy with this arrangement but none more so than the raven-haired teen who had looked at her with anger for pointing it out to the two of them.

Naruto rolled her eyes and said to him, "You should suck it up like a man and deal with it!"

The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes and grunted. Naruto grinned at him before going back to her seat beside Hinata, not noticing the small blush on his face.

"I simply can't comprehend how you could stand up to them." Hinata said, frowning at the glares that Naruto was currently receiving from the raven-haired preteen's fangirls.

"I simply got used to it," Naruto answered as she leaned against her seat. "Plus I can beat them up with my hands tied behind my back." she boasted. Hinata chuckled, smiling at how boastful her friend can be.

It wasn't long before Iruka-sensei entered the classroom and all the genins attention were at him. Their eager eyes were waiting for him to tell them which teams they were in but to their disappointment their ex-sensei had started to talk to them about their upcoming duty as shinobi of Konohagakure.

It had to be one of Iruka-sensei longest and boring speeches that he had ever gave them. Several times she had spotted people dozing off not including Shikamaru, the obligatory slacker. Finally the speech ended and the main even came, namely the team assignments and none of the new genins were falling asleep.

Naruto watched in boredom as various names were called and the genins in question reacted to their placement with either joy or disappointment and a few times both. She waited for her name to come up. Finally:

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto," she perked up, "Haruno Sakura," Naruto slammed her forehead against the table to the amusement of Hinata. "And Uchiha Sasuke."

"I don't mean to be rude, Iruka-sensei but why the hell am I paired up with Sasuke-teme over there? My marks are completely average and should put me along the half way mark in the class and I certainly don't understand how the three of us would work with us not getting along. And wouldn't it have been smarter to pair the dead last with the Rookie of the Year?" Naruto asked, looking at Iruka in anger and frustration.

Iruka rubbed the back of his neck as he thought of how to answer the blonde's question while the other genins looked at him in curiosity to answer the inquiry. "If we were speaking from placement in class wise, you would be correct however we had to take in account of skills and abilities. Your abilities are the reason why you were paired with Sasuke and Sakura." He answered.

Naruto shook her head before reluctantly sitting down. She had been hoping that she would be paired with Hinata and Naruto didn't want her friend to deal with any strangers or worse Kiba. What could she do? Threaten the Hokage by stealing his porn? That was tempting but she wasn't insane to do that.

"In the afternoon, we will introduce your jounin-senseis," said Iruka once everyone was placed on a team. "Until then take a break." The students started to disperse, discussing the pros and cons of their new squads.

Sasuke rose silently and walked out the door, Sakura following him like the fangirl that she was. Sasuke pretended she didn't exist. Naruto frowned at this scene. This was in no way a good thing; the three of them were suppose to act like a team. Maybe it would be better after a few missions. Hey a girl can a dream can't she?

* * *

They had been waiting for the past two hours and fifty-five minutes, not that Naruto has been counting the moment when they meet their sensei. It wouldn't be bad if she had her friends with her but they had left an hour ago with their sensei leaving her with Sasuke and Sakura as company.

It wasn't that bad if she admitted to herself since she wasn't in a hurry to talk to them. After all, who would want to talk to their teammate when they had a good book to read? Not her that was for sure.

"Where the hell is our sensei?" Sakura growled. Looking up from her book, Naruto saw that Sakura was pacing back and forth at the door. Sighing, the blonde wondered if the lateness was to be expected from their sensei.

"How the hell am I suppose to know? I am in the same boat as the two of you." Naruto said as she returned her eyes back on the page that she was currently reading. "If you are so bored, why don't you just go to the library and get a book or check for some scrolls to read. I am certain that Iruka-sensei have some scrolls lying around here."

It was in that moment that the door slid open to revel a sliver-haired man wearing a jonin vest, his forehead protector covering his left eye. His visible eye seized them up as if he was deciding whether or not they were worth his time.

"Well my first impression of you guy is...that I hate you," the jonin said. Sasuke and Sakura sweat-dropped while Naruto snorted. "Is there anything funny blonde?" the jonin asked.

The blue-eyed girl looked up from her book and stared at the jounin; her eyes were lit in amusement. "That should be our line since obviously our first impression on you isn't that great considering how late you are."

"Naruto-baka, shut up!" Sakura cried, her fist rose to strike the back of Naruto's head.

The blue-eyed girl narrowed her eyes at this movement and leaned out of the way as soon as Sakura brought it down. Sakura lost her balance and fell over. She rubbed her head as she looked up at the blond girl, whose eyes were now filled with boredom as if it was child's play.

"You know Sakura if I could avoid it once than I could avoid it again and again." Naruto said as she yawned at her. The pink-haired girl got annoyed at her teammate's words. How dare she say it like she was dumb? She had better marks than her during theory tests.

"Don't speak to me as if I am dumb! I got better marks than you did."

Naruto didn't blinked at Sakura's words instead she remained impassive. "I am not speaking as if you are dumb, I am stating an obvious fact. Even a smart person will overlook the obvious but remember we are teammates and that means you do not hit me." She explained, giving a pointed look at both of he teammates. "Which means you don't piss me off and I might not make any snide comments about you but only when you prove to me that you truly don't deserve it."

_So that is Uzumaki?_ Kakashi thought._ Her file had said that she was boastful, of average intelligence and skills. But this kid seems to be humble and slightly above intelligence and I don't know about skill, as I haven't seen any so far._

"All right you three, meet on top of the Academy in five minutes," Kakashi said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Naruto blinked at the puff of smoke and than put her hands behind her head. "As tempting as it is to do as he says and meet him in five minutes, I prefer to be late in meeting him. Anyone up to join me?" asked Naruto, picking her stuff up. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and dragged her to meet their sensei.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, bastard?" Naruto yelled as she glared at the Uchiha heir in anger.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her and said, "If I didn't drag you here, you would have skipped the introduction with our sensei just so you can teach him a lesson!"

"Can't deny that."

The Uchiha clan heir finally let go of her ear as soon as they were on top of the Academy. Naruto rubbed her ear and glared at the smirking Sasuke, cussing under her breath at him.

"The very least you could have done was not to pull my ears that hard." Said Naruto as she took her seat beside Sasuke.

"Well, let us begin with introducing yourselves," Kakashi said.

"You do realize that is a very board topic," Naruto pointed out. "What do you want us to talk about?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders and suggested, "How about your likes, dislikes, your dreams for the future and things like that. Blonde, you are up first."

Naruto glared at Kakashi for singling her out. "Fine, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like reading, painting, cooking and I dislike people who doesn't take their job seriously as well as people who humiliate others to make themselves feel stronger," she sighed. "I also dislike traitors. My dream is to see the world and become a strong kunoichi."

Kakashi grinned behind her mask._ She certainly has some spunk. She __insulted both of her teammates without coming out and saying it._

"All right Bubblegum you are next." Kakashi said as he ignored the feeble glare from Sakura.

"Y-yes. My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…" she trailed off and glanced at Sasuke. To both Naruto and Sasuke's chagrin, the pink-haired girl squealed before continuing. "I dislike Naruto-"

"It is a two way street, Bubblegum." Naruto said, leaning against the step. Sakura glared at her for interrupting her but the blonde arched her eyebrows and rolled her eyes.

"As I was saying my dream is to…" again Sakura trailed off as her face went red.

The blonde patted the black-haired boy's back in sympathy. He arched his eyebrows and scowled at her. Sometimes, she truly did pity the boy for having so many pathetic fangirls.

_Why is she even a ninja? I swear to Kami that they gave me her as a punishment._ Kakashi thought. "All right, let us see what Emo boy has to say."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are a lot of things I dislike and I don't really like anything and I can't really call it a dream. But I have an ambition, the resurrection of my clan and to kill a certain man." Sasuke said, his fingers covering the bottom half of his face.

Naruto grimaced. She certainly had no idea on what had went through his mind when he found his whole clan being murdered and no one knew what exactly happened that day. It was however understandable that he wanted to murder the man that killed his family, many people would have done the same thing if given the same chance even she would be like that too if she knew what happened to her parents.

"Wait sensei what about you?" Sakura asked, snapping Naruto back into reality.

"My name is Hayate Kakashi and I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes. My dream for the future…hmm, and I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi answered, smiling at the three speechless genins.

"All he told us was his name." Sakura whispered to her teammates.

The blue-eyed girl wrinkled her nose and said, "Very true but I suppose that we will learn more about him since he is our sensei."

"I suppose so but still can't he tell us more about himself?"

Naruto lips curled into an amused smile at her teammate's questions but didn't comment about the question. Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise while Sasuke shook his head at her. It seemed all that arguing that they had made him learn well enough that she doesn't want to comment.

"What is so funny about what I just said Naruto?"

"Yes, Naruto-chan what is so funny about what Sakura had said?" Kakashi asked, looking at his blond student in amusement and laziness.

"First off, you don't have permission to call me Naruto-chan, coming from you it sounds all perverted. I found it funny that you asked us to tell us all these things about ourselves and yet you don't give any in return," Naruto yawned. "I was expecting to know a little bit more from my sensei but I shouldn't expect anything from a lazy sensei."

"That wounds me Naruto-chan!"

Naruto glared at him and said in a sweet voice, "Call me Naruto-chan again and I will hurt you so badly that you will never look at a woman the same way again." He gulped and vigorously nodded his head. She definitely reminded him of her mother and Tsunade when she said this.

"Alright now so far for the introductions, tomorrow we will start our duties as shinobi."

The blond-haired girl lazily looked up at the sky and asked, "What kind of duties may I ask?"

"First we are going to do something with just the four of us." Kakashi answered cheerfully.

The short blond girl returned her attention to the sliver haired man and lazily asked, "Can you please go into further detail about that? Because you can't honestly expect us to be prepared if you do not give us any details."

The slivered-hair jonin chuckled and answered, "Survival training."

Naruto arched her eyebrows at him and repeated, "Survival training?" She glanced at her teammates and was happy to see that she was not the only one confused.

"Why is our first duty a training? We have had enough training at the Academy."

Naruto scoffed at Sakura's words. The said pink-haired girl raised her eyebrows at her teammate.

"Do you have something to say Naruto!" Sakura screeched.

"Of course I do," Naruto said, yawning at her angry teammate. "The academy had putted more emphasis on book smarts than on physical training, which is a mockery of how any solider, ninja or not should be!"

Kakashi could see the stream rolling off the pink-haired girl's head. He looked at Naruto, who wasn't fazed from the anger from the girl and was now sitting there like she hadn't said something wrong.

"How can you say that? If you believed that than why now have you decided to put effort into studying?"

The blonde smiled distastefully at her teammate and answered. "Just because I have those beliefs do not mean I wish to fail in the exams! Without knowledge, people can…" she shook her head. "I am just saying that in terms of being a ninja, you need to focus as well on the physical aspects. If you don't then you die, simple as that."

"W-what do you mean?"

Naruto didn't answer her teammate's question, deciding that she had already spoken too much. She had already spoke about her disgust of the Academy and that was bad enough but to explain how it can get them killed would be pushing the line and Naruto does not want to get into trouble with them.

Kakashi was looking at the blond-haired girl in front of him with interest. Maybe this bunch of genins had a chance but it all goes down to tomorrow's test.

"As much as I like hearing you guys argue, I still have to tell you about the survival training," Kakashi said, drawing their attention back to him. "This isn't an normal training, this time I am your opponent."

The blond-haired girl eyes twitched at this piece of information before replacing her expression with one of impassiveness, making it hard for him to read her emotions. Her teammates in the other hand were easy to read, Sasuke was brooding and Sakura was nervous.

"What is it?" Sakura asked. Kakashi chucked causing the three genins to look at him in confusion. "What is so funny sensei?"

"Um…well…it is just that when I tell you this you guys are totally going to freak out." Kakashi explained.

"And why would we freak out?" Naruto asked.

"Of the 27 graduates, only 9 will be chosen to become a genin and the rest will be send back to the Academy. This training is a very difficult exam with a failure rate of over 66%!" Kakashi explained, enjoying the shock looks on the genin's faces.

"That does make sense," Naruto said softly. "It explains why eighteen kids from the year before was sent back but it does not explain the exam that we took before."

"The exams that your class took was one that weeded out the ones that aren't meant to become genins yet, it was an elimination process." Kakashi explained and the three kids were troubled at this new piece of information.

"Anyway, tomorrow you have to show your real skills on the training ground and bring all the shinobi tools you have." Kakashi suggested. "Oh and skip breakfast, you might throw up."

Naruto simply frowned and thought to herself that there was something wrong with this test. He tells them not to eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day, that told her that he was planning to make them be at their weakest but why? Well, whatever the reason was, she was not skipping breakfast.

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Author Note: Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

* * *

"You are late!"

Naruto blinked her eyes at her pink-haired teammate and then scanned the area to see if their sensei arrived. Scowling, she realized that her plan to be even more late then their sensei had failed. Maybe it had been a better idea for her to be three hours late like him.

"You are not going to make some smartass comment?" Sakura asked, disturb at how silent the blonde was.

"Why bother? It is just so exhausting for me to say something this early in the morning." The blonde answered, lying down on the ground to have a well-deserved nap.

"It is nine o'clock in the morning!" Sakura exclaimed.

The petite blonde looked at her teammate in annoyance. Her alarm clock had woken her at six o'clock in the morning, which was two hours earlier than she had been expecting. How could she have been so forgetful in changing the time on when she gets up? Oh yeah, she had stayed the whole night mulling over what Kakashi was planning to do.

Sasuke would have rolled his eyes at the blonde words but chose not as it would mean that he was paying attention to their conversation.

"So do you guys got a plan on how to do this?" Naruto asked, knowing that any chance of getting a nap would be ruined by the pink banshee. They blinked their eyes at her and she sighed in frustration.

"Why would we need a plan? We don't know what he is planning." Sakura pointed out.

Naruto shrugged her shoulders and said, "That is very true but we need to be prepared for anything."

"What do you mean?"

"And why should I explain myself? I believe that my comment speaks for myself." Naruto retorted. "Besides, if I explained to you, the most likely thing to happen is that you would simply ignore my explanation."

"Don't speak like that to Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled, glaring at the blond girl in front of her.

"I am only simply stating the truth, Bubblegum."

"B-Bubblegum? Why do you always call me Bubblegum?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded and explained, "Well pinkie is just so overrated from the beginning so Bubblegum will do seeing as it suits you." She counted till ten before smirking at the angry look on Sakura's face when she realized that she had just insulted her hair.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, clenching her hands into a fist. She sighed and counted to twenty to calm down. Becoming angry at the blond would do her no good besides Sasuke would absolutely dislike her if he knew how loud her voice was.

"Yes, Bubblegum?" Naruto asked innocently. The pink-haired girl eyebrows twitch at her words and it was taking all her will power not to hit the girl in front of her Sasuke-kun.

"Do not call me that." Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"Why not? You and Ino had called me so many bad names and titles in fact let me name a few," Naruto said, smiling evilly at her. "I believe that you called me chubby which I am not seeing as I am thin, dumb blonde but how can I be dumb when I wasn't the dumbest in the class? Lets not forget my personal favorite a stalker which I am surprise seeing as unlike you guys, I never once tried stalk any of the boys in the class home or watch while their taking a bath."

"H-how do you know that?" Sakura asked knowing that she and the other girls had not once seen the blond with them. Sasuke turned green at this piece of information and scooted away from Naruto.

"I didn't." Naruto admitted, grinning at them. "But thank you for confirming the rumors that Izumi had started." Sakura turned red from embarrassment for being caught red-handed and angry for being tricked.

"Really then how do you know so much about everyone in our year? I mean how can you know so much about us when you don't talk to anyone except Hinata!" Sakura yelled.

"Who says that I know them that well? I am not familiar with anyone of them! I only know things that are common knowledge!"

"Yeah right!" Sakura scoffed.

"Good morning guys!" Kakashi said, not noticing the tension between Sakura and Naruto.

"You're late!" Sakura yelled. The sliver-haired jonin didn't acknowledge the pink banshee outburst and Naruto respect for the man raised but not that much. Still, anyone that can ignore Sakura's loud voice was someone that she should give a little respect to.

The sliver-haired man didn't say anything instead he put an alarm clock on a nearby log. The three genins looked at the clock in confusion and then to their sensei, wondering why they needed a clock for survival training.

"Ok, it is set for noon." the masked man announced. He showed them two bells tied with strings. "Here are two bells." He said it like they didn't know it themselves. "Your task is to take these from me before the time is up. Those who don't have a bell by noon, gets no lunch. I will not only tie you to one of those stumps, but I will also eat right in front of you."

Sakura and Sasuke's stomach grumbled while Naruto looked at them in surprise and amusement. "Well isn't it a good thing that I ate my breakfast." She said, causing her teammate to scowl at her.

"I told you that you couldn't eat breakfast." Kakashi said sharply. "Why didn't you listen to me?"

The blonde shook her head and looked at the sliver haired jonin in amusement before answering, "First off you said that we _shouldn't_ emphasis on shouldn't," Naruto then gave a pointed look to her teammates and continued, "Second of all, I don't respect a teacher that shows up extremely late besides I was starving, you really expect me to starve myself."

"Yes!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto blinked. "I am a lot of things but I am not going to starve myself until I see a logical point of doing so."

"Well then, I guess if you are at full strength then I don't have to go so easy on you," Kakashi said with a hidden smile. Sakura gulped while Sasuke looked excited at this piece of information but Naruto simply rolled her eyes at him.

"I would look forward to it then," Naruto said dryly. "Through the chances of you not going easy on us are slim."

"Really now? Why so?" Kakashi asked, already knowing the reason why but interested to know what Naruto had to say.

"As Shikamaru would say explaining would be too troublesome." Naruto answered. Maybe it would be best if she stayed away from the Nara heir, she didn't want to get anymore of his bad habits rubbed in her.

"You really spend too much time with him." Sasuke commented. Kakashi noticed a hint of jealously as he said this and he wondered of the rumors of him being gay was wrong. The blonde nodded and Sakura looked at lost at seeing how close the black-haired boy was with Naruto.

"All right then," Kakashi said, returning their attention back to him. "You only have to get one bell and seeing as there are only two, one of you will definitely be tied to the stump."

"Isn't that obvious?" Naruto mumbled.

Kakashi ignored her comment and continued, "And the person who doesn't take a bell fails so at least one of you will be sent back to the Academy."

The blue-eyed girl frowned. There was something fishy about that sentence; the academy instructors had not only put emphasis on the mental aspects of ninjas but of teamwork. Also, why would they put them in teams of three? There was something odd about this.

"If you want you can use shurikens and kunais but you won't succeed unless you come at me intending to kill." Kakashi said, noticing that Naruto had quickly picked up that there was something wrong with what he had been saying. He silently thought to himself when this team fails, he would take the blond as his apprentice. This girl was a natural with reading underneath the underneath.

"But! You will be in danger!" Sakura protested.

Naruto laughed out loud at her teammates words causing everyone to look at her in surprise. They waited till she stopped laughing before asking her what was so funny.

"I-I am sorry Sakura," Naruto said, wiping the tear away from her eyes. "But you honestly think a mere rookie genin can actually hurt a jonin? I am sorry but no rookie genin can defeat a jonin."

"You won't know until you try," Kakashi pointed out.

The blond haired girl nodded in agreement at his word and said, "That may be true but I doubt that a genin can defeat a jonin." She shrugged her shoulders at them.

"Now let us…" he paused and they waited anxiously for him to continue. "Begin!" Kakashi shouted.

Sasuke and Sakura vanished into the woods. "You know you were suppose to hide," Kakashi said looking at Naruto who didn't moved from her spot.

"Oh I know," Naruto admitted. She scratched her chin and gave him a calculating look. "But hiding from you as I know would be very pointless, I bet you know where Sasuke and Bubblegum is hiding," she grinned and continued. "Besides I want to see how I measure against you."

Naruto decided that she had already spoken enough and that she should start attacking him. She started to run towards the jounin but slowed down when she saw that the masked-man was pulling something out of his pouch. She looked at him with weariness and curiosity, wondering what he was planning to do.

"Shinobi fighting lesson number 1- taijutsu," Kakashi said. "I will teach you about it."

Taijutsu meant hand-to-hand combat but yet the sliver-haired jounin was pulling out a weapon. Something wasn't right; he was planning something but what? Surely he couldn't be thinking of using a weapon against them? No, maybe he was trying to throw her off guard.

Her question was soon answered when she saw Kakashi took out a familiar orange book. Her eyes twitch at the sight of the familiar orange book in front of her. That man was dead! She crunched her hand and gave him a sweet smile that got the sliver-haired man to shudder in fear.

"I hope that you had enjoyed your life here on earth," Naruto said, grinning madly at him. "Because it is about to end!"

"Oh don't worry it won't make a difference against you guys," Kakashi said, trying his best to ignore the murderous look on the blonde face. After all what can a mere genin do? Besides Naruto doesn't have any skills that he thinks is a threat.

Naruto didn't say anything, deciding that it was time for the open pervert gets his punishment. She ran towards him and lung at him in his stomach but he blocked it with very little difficulty. Naruto didn't give and had now twisted her leg to give the sliver-haired man a kick but he blocked her kick. He winced in pain as Naruto pushed her leg even harder. The girl wasn't Tsunade in terms of strength but it was close to it.

It didn't seemed like the girl was going to give up. Naruto had given up fighting with punches and kicks and had now gone into unorthodox way of fighting. The blond-haired girl was now doing a cartwheel kick at him. He dodged the attacks with a little difficulty and he was impressed with the girl's flexibility. He barely blocked the somersault kick that she had done.

"Why don't you give up?" Kakashi asked as Naruto tried to punch him by his stomach. He blocked it and his eye widen in surprised as the girl did a high sidekick to his face, managing to land a hit.

"I don't give up!" Naruto answered. "I am as stubborn as a mule! And in my vocabulary, I don't have a word called giving up!"

Seeing Kakashi was distracted, the blond girl now started her attack against Kakashi. She didn't hold back her punches or kicks at him, wishing revenge for reading the vile book in front of them.

Naruto soon stopped punching and started to ponder about what Kakashi had said before. She definitely found something weird about this test. The people with the bells will pass while the people without the bells won't pass, it sounded so simple and so good to be true that it was suspicious. Why put them in teams of three. Teams of three…teams of three…the answer was right there but what? No, first she had to think of what she knew so far about this test.

It sounds simple enough that the person who doesn't get the bells won't have lunch and will be send back to the academy. But it seemed so wrong because they were put in a team of three, why put them in a team of three if one of them will be send back to the academy? It just didn't make sense. The answer lay on the team of three? The better questions she should be asking are why are they in a team of three? Teams of three…. teams of three…of course teamwork!

Naruto blinked her eyes and stared at the groaning sensei. He purposely pitted them against each other, telling them not to eat breakfast and tying them to the log if they didn't get a bell, it was a trap. It was so obvious and yet they haven't figured it out. Didn't they say the best way to hide things was by hiding it in the most obvious of places? It seemed that saying goes for tests too.

But first, she needed to get a few things out of her chest.

"Ever read that vile, horrendous book in front of me again and I will make sure that I will find a way to." Naruto splatted. Kakashi didn't answered, deciding that it was time that he formulates a plan of revenge of his own. It would be embarrassing if people knew that he had been beaten up by a mere genin.

He looked down at his belt and noticed to his surprise that the blonde hadn't taken his bells. "I noticed that you didn't take the bells, why is that?" he asked in curiosity.

"It is because I have an idea on how to pass this test." Naruto said, flickering her eyes to the area around them as she tried to figure out where her teammates might be hiding. "However I should warn you that my teammates do not know what it is until it bites them in the ass."

"Mind saying it?" Kakashi asked, trying to distract as he thought of a way to get his revenge against the girl.

"I rather not," Naruto admitted. She looked at him in amusement and waved at him. . He frowned as he watched Naruto waving at him and before long she had run off into the woods

He walked towards the direction that Naruto had left. He could sense eight or nine separate chakra sources around her and one of them was the real her. The girl was good at utilizing the shadow clones despite only learning it after one day; this one had a lot of potential. He frowned as he remembered how she waved at him and he wonders what she had done. What was she planning? Maybe she had a planned a trap. But how can she plan a trap with so little time? He was amazed when he saw the tripwire. It was good, better to the work of what a new genin can do but he was a jounin, so he knew better. He stepped over it cautiously and almost put his foot down before he notice the slight wave in the ground. He looked back at the buried tripwire he had almost set off and mused that the trap would have fooled most chunins.

He found a safe place to advance towards the forest, and was about to take another step further when he heard a deep rumbling in the woods. A great green serpent with foul yellow smoke pouring from its mouth crashed through the trees towards Kakashi. His mind shut down and he immediately tried to find ninjutsu that can destroy the beast but it was too late because a minute later, shuriken rained down from various angles, forcing Kakashi to quickly do the hand-signs and strike the ground, **Earth Style: Rocky shield.** He sighed in relief as the attacks slowly dimmed down.

He rubbed his chin as he thought about how close that it was. It seemed like the reports about her being skilled in traps were an understatement. He grinned and wondered how skilled the other two were.

Naruto in her hiding spot grinned. She had gathered a lot of information about the sliver-haired jounin fighting style and his one weakness. The only thing left for her to do now is to convince her teammates that they needed to work together.

"Since when was Naruto that strong?" Sasuke asked himself from his hiding spot.

"I am not! I am just more sneakier than you." A voice behind him whispered dryly. Sasuke whirled around, his hand darting for a kunai. "It is just me, Sasuke."

"Naruto, what the hell!"

The blonde smirked at him and said, "I got plan on how we can pass the test."

Sasuke snorted. "I don't need your help."

"You do realize that I had outsmarted Kakashi right? Through in his defense he hadn't really thought that I was that skilled in traps." Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke sighed and quietly asked, "Why didn't you take the bells when you had the chance? I thought that you wanted to be a ninja so badly don't you?"

"Oh I do don't you worry," Naruto assured him. "It is just that I figure out the real purpose of this test while I was fighting with Kakashi-sensei."

"Real purpose?" Sasuke asked, raising his eyebrows at her. Naruto nodded. The two of them frowned when they heard Sakura's scream before shrugging their shoulders when they realized that Kakashi must have gotten to her.

"Why put us in a team of three, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto asked. "Why would they put us in a team of three when in the end, one of us is going back?"

"How the hell am I suppose to know!"

" I think he wants us to work together." The blonde explained. "Do you honestly think that one genin can beat a jounin?"

"You nearly did." Sasuke pointed out, scowling at her.

Naruto blinked her eyes at him and said, "I got him by surprise, and the next time I attack he wouldn't be to quick to put down his guard." She grinned at him and continued. "Don't you want to pass? Working together will make the job a hell lot easier."

"Why should I work with you?"

"Well, working together will make getting the bells so much easier." Naruto pointed out. "Secondly, he wouldn't be expecting us to be working together."

"Hn."

"Listen do you want to pass or not?" Naruto asked Sasuke, crossing her arms at him. "Because I certain am! And didn't you find it odd at all?"

The raven-haired teen curled his mouth and leaned against the tree. His black eyes flicker at her and than to the clearing behind her, frowning at her. He reluctantly nodded his head at her.

"They put us in a team of three for a reason." Naruto pointed out as she crossed her arms at him. "And have you ever seen a two-man squad? I certainly haven't heard of any or read any from the books."

"Then what is the point of making us fight against ourselves?" Sasuke asked as he reluctantly realized what Naruto was trying to say. "If he want to make us work as a team than why would he set this all up?"

Naruto pondered at his question and admitted. "I honestly don't know but I do know that none of us can defeat him because let face it, we are genins and he is a jounin. Chances of one of us defeating Kakashi-sensei are practically zero but the chances of us working together increases the probability."

"How certain can you be?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto smiled and answered, "I am not that certain but I am also thinking from a stagiest point of view. If you were Kakashi, would you think that we would work together?"

Sasuke pondered at her question and answered reluctantly, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because we would be competing against each other." Sasuke answered as if it was obvious. "How would he expect us to work together when we all want the bells?"

"Precisely," Naruto said. "We would have an advantage over him and two is better than one."

Sasuke sighed at Naruto. He was reluctant to work with her but he wanted to pass and looking from the blond girl point of view, she was right. The chances of them getting the bells individually were low and Kakashi was a jounin as Naruto had pointed out that meant he had years of experience compared to them. It was reckless to go against him without any help and to think he had been planning to do such a thing.

"Alright, what's the plan?"

Naruto grinned and answered, "First we will have to get Sakura and after that this is what we will do…"

* * *

Kakashi looked up from his book as Naruto approached him.

"Are you going to work together to get the bells?" Kakashi asked. "You do realise that even if you get the bells, one of you will fail."

Naruto hesitated before nodding her head. Her eyes held a glint of amusement and he started to feel weary. The trap that she made had been was not one that any genin can do but the girl was a prankster, generally prankster was good at trap making and Naruto was no exception.

"I know that but as they say if you failed once, try and try again." Naruto answered happily. "And as I said before I don't know when to give up!"

"You do realize that you got fifteen minutes left?" Kakashi asked. "So less talking and more fighting."

The blonde glanced at her teammates and nodded her head at them. He arched his eyebrow in surprise. The three of them are working now and he wonders which one of them suggested to work together. The grinned on the blond girl's face suggested that it was her that suggested doing this.

Naruto lunged at Kakashi and he immediately blocked her high kick. He frowned when he felt another chakra source behind him and he blocked the incoming punch from his other hand. He grimaced when he saw that it was a clone of Naruto. He hadn't been expecting her to use the Shadow Clones in the fight.

"You are as unpredictable as they say you are." Kakashi said. "I hadn't expected a genin like you to be using Shadow Clones, very impressive."

"Thank you," Naruto said as she grinned at him. The blonde lunged at him but only for him to block her attack, the girl gathered her chakra to her legs to stop herself from falling. She silently gestured for the other shadow clones to attack him before going to attack him.

Kakashi blocked and dodged the attacks, never noticing the smirk on Naruto's face as she attacked him; one of them even attacked him from behind but that one quickly disappeared. He could feel himself being forced to go to the direction of the river.

Suddenly one of the clones reached out for the bells but only mange to make a jingle. He had quickly blocked the attack before the girl had been able to get the bells. Kakashi hated to admit this but the girl was good for a new genin, her taijutsu was ready at chunin level.

The girl suddenly stopped attacking and Kakashi was confused. Had she gotten the bells while he wasn't looking? No he would have noticed so why would she be grinning at him? No matter, how hard he thinks Kakashi couldn't figure out why the two Naruto was grinning at him. Then one of the clones beside her that he had been fighting dispelled and in their place, it was Sasuke and Sakura, who held his precious book. The pink-haired girl was grinning viciously as she handed the book to Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei, I will admit that you are sneaky." Naruto said as she dangled his book in disgust. "But I am even sneakier than you after all you never notice Sakura stealing your book while I was fighting you or that I switch with Sasuke half way through the battle."

"Now, Kakashi-sensei we will give you back your disgusting boos if you pass us." Sakura said, grinning evilly at him. Nobody read that disgusting book in front of her and gets away with it. "And if you try something Sasuke-kun will burn it." To emphasis this, Sasuke was already at the hand-seal that was commonly used for fire jutsus.

Kakashi reined his racing heart under control. No way, was he going to show these genins that he was panicking. He simply couldn't afford to do anything that would endanger his precious book. So he did what any man would do, he tried playing cool.

"And, why should I care?" He asked as disinterestedly as he managed. "I could buy another one anytime."

"Yes, you could." Naruto said as she crossed her arms at him. "But I believed that this book holds a much sentimental value than any of the ones that you could have buy. I also took a liberty of noticing that this book has the author's autograph with a personal dedication. You could buy a new one but it will never hold the same value."

Kakashi knew that he was in a corner. There were only two options to do, either do as the genins said and pass them or allow them to burn the book. Neither of them seemed to be a good option but he will be damned if he allowed his book to be burned by them.

"You pass!" Kakashi yelled as he held out his hands in surrender. "Now give me back my book!"

Naruto grinned and threw his book at him. Kakashi immediately caught the book and started to hug the book, scaring the three genins. Sakura and Naruto's eyebrows twitch at the scene while Sasuke started to feel gross out as he watched their sensei started talking about precious.

"The real purpose of this test was to see if the three of you could work together as a team." Kakashi started to explain to them as he put his book in the pouch while the genins started to eat lunch. "And I am proud to say that the three of you had learned this."

"That was a stupid test than." Naruto commented.

Kakashi eyebrows twitch at her words while Sakura gaped at Naruto's ability to talk back at a teacher. Sasuke simply grunted as he ate his lunch silently. The blond girl knew that grunt meant that he agreed with her about the test being stupid.

"And how is the test stupid?"

"You can't expect a new genin team to work together." Naruto explained. "It took me nearly a whole hour to figure this aspect of the test but only because I just found it how odd the test was."

"Why was the test odd to you, Naruto?"

"Never seen a two-man squad in my life and Iruka-sensei said that teams are a three-man squad or something like that. Never paid attention to him when he had long boring speeches."

"I can't imagine why." Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto rolled her eyes at them and thought that just maybe that Team Seven wouldn't be such a bad team to be placed in. Just maybe, the team might become her family.

* * *

It had been a month since Team Seven had officially became genin. The whole month had been filled them doing a lot of D-rank missions, which were more like summer jobs than missions. Not that Naruto was complaining, the blond girl needed the money.

Now, they were returning from their recent mission, which was capturing Tora, the cat that belonged to the Fire Daimyo wife. The three genin looked stunned at the abuse the cat went through as its owner smothered it with love, much to the animal's dismay. Iruka handed the Hokage another D-rank mission for the team to complete.

"Now…Kakashi's Team Seven, your next duty is…babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighbouring village, and help with the potato digging."

"No way! Hell no! No thank you! I want us to do a more challenging mission! These missions are something you would do for a summer job!" Naruto said angrily, crossing her arms at the Hokage. Kakashi sighed while Sakura banged her head and Sasuke silently nodded in agreement.

_I was wondering when Naruto was going to snap._ Kakashi had to admit to himself that Naruto while the most reasonable one between the three was also the quickest to loose patience and temper. He noticed Iruka stood up to scold his student.

"You idiot! You are just a rookie! Everyone starts off with the simple duties and works their way up!"

"These are jobs that an academy student can do! These jobs are a waste to a ninja, honestly how does carrying the grocery consider a ninja mission! Hell I will be more than happy to do a simple escort mission!"

"Naruto, that's enough knock it off." Kakashi bopped his student on top of her head making her glares heatedly at him.

Sarutobi pulled his pipe out of his mouth and looked at the angry blonde nursing the bump on her head.

"Each request is written down on these lists and divided into an A, B, C, D ranking based on difficulty. The village is also divided based on skill. Staring with me to the jounins, chuunins and genins. The missions are then handed out by us at the top to ninjas based on their abilities. And if the duty is completed successfully, we receive payment from the client. You guys just recently became genin. D-rank missions are perfect for you." The Hokage, happy with his explanation looked to see the look od understanding on Naruto's face…instead he saw her talking with her team.

"Now I am thinking of painting the Hokage Mountain but I am uncertain, what do you think I should paint today?"

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?!"

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama." Kakashi scratched the back of his head at the awkwardness of being caught not paying attention. Naruto apparently felt none of that awkwardness.

"I already know this, Hokage-oji-san but that doesn't mean I am suppose to tolerate it." Naruto answered firmly. "I am not the same little girl that caused mischief when given the chance, I have grown a lot since last month." Naruto crossed her arms and sighed. There was a huge chance that she was going to be scolded for her behaviour towards the Hokage.

Kakashi was glad that Naruto hadn't shouted at the Hokage because he had been sure that several times that he seen the girl ready to explode at the old Hokage.

"Very well, since you put it that way Naruto. I will permit you to attempt a C-rank mission usually reserved for chunin ninja."

_He is actually giving into my demands?_ Naruto thought as she gave a stunned look to the Hokage. She hadn't expected him to give in to her demands so easily but who cares! Finally she was going to get some action.

"You will protect a certain individual..."

"As long as it isn't some annoying man than I doesn't give a damn! I will even be happy with a merchant!"

"You are not protecting a merchant, I'll perform the introductions right away. Iruka, please invite him in."

The door opened and a tall man above middle age walked in, a bottle of sake in his hand.

"What's this? They are all a bunch of super brats. Especially the shortest one with the super stupid-looking face. Are you really a ninja? Hey!?"

Naruto growled and was about to go hit the man for the insult but only to be stopped by Kakashi.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me kill the son of a bitch!"

"Wrong Naruto. No killing the old man you're being paid to protect."

"You sure that girl is a ninja? Do I really have to place my life in her hands?" He looked with disbelief towards the Hokage. Kakashi stepped in to defend his student's honour.

"While she may not look like it Tazuna-san, Naruto here is very good at trap-making that can rival most chunins." The Hokage and Kakashi could see Tazuna's eyes widen at hearing this.

"Not only that but I am an elite ninja and will be coming along too. So no worries." Tazuna looked at the blonde girl and didn't know whether to believe the one-eyed ninja. He knew ninjas could do amazing things like breathe fire, walk on walls, and stuff like that but could that little blonde shrimp really have that much skill? He brushed it off and decided the brats needed to know who they were protecting.

"I am Tazuna, a world renowned bridge builder. Until I safely back in my own country, where I'll be working on my next masterpiece, you'll be expected to protect me with your lives!" Kakashi turned to his team and smiled at them.

"Okay team meet at the south gate tomorrow morning at ten o'clock and don't be late. Pack for at least a month."

Naruto sighed and quietly thought that this was going to be a long month, a month of testing her patience. But she was fulfilling her dream and who knows just maybe she has a chance of not killing the client. Fat chance of her not doing that to the client but a girl can dream.

* * *

Author Note: Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed and added this to their favorites and follows.**

* * *

It was nearly ten o'clock when she arrived to the gates. Her two teammates were already waiting for her. The two other genin looked at her with curiosity. Sakura was the first one to speak.

"Why are you so excited today, Chubby?"

Naruto arched her eyebrows at the pink-haired girl and said. "You know I think you enjoy me calling you Bubblegum or why else would you keep calling me, Chubby! Bubblegum! And to answer your question, this will be the first time I am out of this village."

Sakura and Sasuke were taken back by her response, which went unnoticed by the blond girl, who was now taking out a sketchbook and pencil from one of her bags. Naruto turned around to look at the open gates and started to sketch. It will be a while before Kakashi would be here that much Naruto was certain.

The raven-haired teen watched in fascination as the blond girl sketch the gates; her face was crunched with concentration. He had never seen Naruto looked so concentrated but he had never seen her draw so this must be an exception. Sasuke had never really thought that Naruto would have such a girly pastime; the girl acted so much like boy.

"Take a picture, it will last longer." Naruto said as she carefully drew the character of fire into the gates.

Sasuke blushed for being caught staring and shook his head before saying, "How long have you been…"

"Long enough." Naruto said, answering his unfinished question. "The Hokage-oji-san believed that I should have at least one girly hobby. Honestly, I can be girlie when I want to be! But I honestly hate acting like a girl and Hokage-oji-san knows it!"

"You shouldn't keep calling the Hokage, oji-san!" Sakura said harshly to her teammate. "Don't you know the consequence of disrespecting the Hokage!"

Naruto carefully put her pencil and sketchbook back in her bag and stood out to look at the pink-haired girl. Curling her lips at her, Naruto wonder how she could explain to her teammate about her disrespecting him without making the Hokage looking like a pervert.

"I have known the Hokage-oji-san for as long as I could remember." Naruto answered truthfully. "I had always called him that and as I grew older, he didn't bother to correct me."

"But it isn't right to call him oji-san."

"It isn't right to hurt your teammates." Naruto rebutted. "It isn't right to be late for a mission but yet we are here waiting for our late sensei for another twenty minutes."

"Well, he is a jounin!"

Naruto snorted and crossed her arms at her. "The other senseis came early to pick up the other genin but only our sensei was three hours late." She said dryly. "So I think you should make a better excuse of him being late honestly I truly dislike sensei when he is like this."

"Well, I am glad to see that you dislike my tardy habits." All three genin turned to see Kakashi with a backpack along with Tazuna.

"Since you are here, I believe that it is time to go!"

Tazuna looked at the excited blond girl and wondered if the girl was truly a ninja, she was bouncing around yesterday and today too. He watched the blond girl with guilty eyes, which went unnoticed by the three genin. However Kakashi noticed the guilt and narrowed his eye in suspicion before going back to its normal lazy look.

* * *

As the group continued their trip it was rather quiet except for the occasional chuckle from Naruto at the sight of something new. Kakashi looked at his student and smiled at seeing her smile, not smirking or the occasional fake grins she would occasionally be sported in.

"Tazuna-san?" Sakura asked. Tazuna looked at her with slightly annoyed look on his face but Naruto thought that it was because she interrupted him from drinking the sake. She honestly hated drunks and it was taking all her will power not to grab the bottle and throw it.

"What?"

"You're from Nami no Kuni, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Sakura turned towards Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, do they have ninjas in that country too?"

Naruto was surprised to see Kakashi in teacher mode not once since they became his students did they see him in this mode. She was glad to see that his face still had a bored look; he wouldn't be Kakashi without it.

"No, not in Nami no Kuni, but in most other countries…the culture and customs may be different, but hidden villages exist, and so do ninjas." Kakashi said as he pulled out a scroll marked **Kakashi sensei's nin nin ninja food for thought.**

"I am afraid to ask but why the hell do you carry that around with you?" Naruto asked. "Not that I am glad because that will be useful if we get lost but still…it is weird."

"You never know when it will comes up in conversation, Naruto." Kakashi said.

Naruto arched her eyebrows in disbelief and said. "It actually comes up in conversations before this!"

Kakashi nodded and the blond girl shook her head at him, muttering under her breath about unbelievable sensei. He chuckled at the girl before continuing on with his lecture about the villages and the kages.

"Wow! Hokage-sama is the best!" Sakura squealed and clapped her hands as she had said this.

Naruto clasped her hands behind her head and said, "I can't really believe that Hokage-oji-san is that powerful! He is so old and pervert."

Kakashi sighed at his student's lack of respect to authority. It was so hard to believe at times that Naruto was the daughter of his sensei, considering the fact that his sensei had been very respectful to authority.

"But, don't worry. There won't be any ninja combat in a C-rank mission." Kakashi said as he ruffled Sakura's hair. Naruto snapped her finger in disappointment to the disbelief of Sakura.

"Of course not!" Kakashi said as he laughed at the mere idea of them fighting ninjas. Tazuna was quiet which did not go unnoticed by Sasuke, Kakashi or Naruto. The puddle that the group passed by did not go unnoticed by Kakashi either. The next thing the group knew two ninjas had Kakashi wrapped up in a spiked chain and basically torn him into pieces.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed as the two nin looked at the group with dreadful eyes.

"One down, now for the blonde." The next thing Naruto realized both of them were either side of her. Naruto immediately kicked the guy on her right and at the same time, punched the man on the left. This had send the two chunins flying.

Sasuke immediately jumped up and threw both a shuriken and kunai pinning the spiked chain to a tree. Both nin tried to get the chain to budge but couldn't. In their desperation to get the chain loose both didn't notice Sasuke and Naruto come up at them. Sasuke sent one of them flying with a kick while Naruto took out a kunai and plunged it on the chunin's chest.

Sasuke stared at his teammate and couldn't make out the emotions that are running through her mind when she stared at the corpse. The other enemy ninja took off towards Tazuna making Sakura pull out a kunai and stand in front of him. Both Sasuke and Naruto took off after him.

_We will never make it on time!_ All seemed lost until Kakashi clotheslined the ninja.

"Kakashi-sensei! You are alive!" Sakura was happy to say the least.

Naruto didn't say anything to them instead deciding to look at the chunin's body with guilt and disgust. She wanted to scrub her hands from the filth of his blood but there was no sight of water. How could she kill him? She was no better than the monster inside of her.

_Was it truly all right for me to kill him?_

"Good job you three, glad no one was injured. I am glad to see that you reacted fast enough, Naruto."

"I should be happy to be praised but I don't feel so happy." Naruto muttered as she stared at the body.

Kakashi frowned and made a mental note to have a private talk with Naruto when things settle down. He turned to look over at Tazuna and his frown vanished, a calm serious face now apparent.

"Mr. Tazuna, I would like to have a word with you."

"I really can't see anything because of this stupid thick mist." Naruto muttered as the boat driver glared at her for talking. She looked down at her hands and felt another wave of hatred and guilt coming through. She shouldn't feel guilty for killing the man; he was going to kill her teammates after all.

"Naruto that was the point, we need to be very careful now." Kakashi sighed at his student, who crossed her arms and reluctantly nodded her head.

"I know that sensei!"

"Keep your voices down! We need to cut off the engine and row from here on out. If Gatou find us we would be in big trouble." Kakashi remembered the conversation he had earlier with the bridge builder.

* * *

"_Who is after you Tazuna-san? A C-rank mission is for bandits and highwaymen, not against enemy ninja. So out with it."_

_Tazuna sighed as he took out his hat and admitted, "You are right this job is most likely outside of your duties. It turns out that a very dangerous man is after my life."_

"_Very dangerous man?"_

"_You've probably at least heard his name before. The wealthy shipping magnate…a man named Gatou."_

"_Huh? Gatou from that Gatou Company? He is said to be the world's few extremely wealthy people."_

"_Yes, officially he runs a large shipping company but secretly he sells drugs and other illegal items using ninjas and gang members to take over business and countries. He's a very nasty man. It was about a year ago when he set his eyes on Nami no Kuni through money and violence, he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry."_

"_Basically he is running the whole country." Naruto said as she looked over at the tied up chunin, who glared at her._

"_Yes, Gatou now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge."_

"_Now that makes sense." Sakura said as she went to a deep thinking pose. "You are building the bridge which means you are in the way."_

"_So those ninjas were hired by Gatou?" Sasuke asked._

_Naruto rolled her eyes at her teammate and sarcastically asked, "Who else would it be my grandmother? Honestly that had to be a very stupid question! Who else do you think would hire such people?"_

_Sasuke glared at her while Sakura gritted her teeth at her teammate for disrespecting the raven-haired teen. Kakashi, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head at the girl. Naruto raised her eyebrows at them and shrugged her shoulders._

"_Anyways that is exactly why Gatou wants me dead. Please…" Tazuna dropped to his knees, his hat forgotten on the ground next to him._

"_I beg you of you to help me, help my country. We don't have much money not enough for the expensive B-rank mission. I will gladly pay you for an B-rank after the bridge is completed!" Tazuna said before adding. "If you quit the mission now, I will definitely be killed! Don't worry about it! If I die my cute 10-year-old grandson will just cry for a few days! Oh yes and my daughter will live a sad life hating Konoha ninjas forever."_

_Naruto looked down to her feet and curled her lips in determination. She didn't want another kid to loose their family and she knew all too well what happens to kids that are left alone. She had spent a year in the streets and knew the horrors…no kid deserve to know it._

_The whole year that she had spent living in the streets had been the worse year of her life. Till this day, she could still remember the horrors of the streets and nothing she can do will erase them._

"_Kakashi-sensei, I believe that we should help him." Naruto said softly. " I never had family so I know what it is like to be left alone in the streets to fend for yourself. I will be dammed if I let another kid know the horrors."_

"_Are you sure about this Naruto?"_

"_Does my face say that I am kidding?"_

_Kakashi smiled underneath his mask while Tazuna looked at the girl with awe. Sasuke and Sakura were surprised to see the seriousness in her face; both of them had thought that Naruto would oppose this. They frowned and wonder what Naruto meant by the horror of the streets._

* * *

"Tazuna-san, it looks like we have avoided detection so far, but just in case, we will take the route that has vegetation. It will make the enemies harder to spot us."

"Thanks."

"It is bad enough that I can't see anything but we are going through a bunch of plants too." Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "The plants better be pretty enough that it want to make me draw it."

Naruto stopped talking and was gawking at the country. She had never been to another country even through it seemed like the village had seen better days; it still looked amazing to her. She had a sudden urge to draw the village but held it till the boat came to stop at a small dock.

"This is it for me." The boatman said. "Goodbye and good luck."

"Yeah. Thank you so much."

Naruto furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the boatman use the motor to get away from them. She crossed her arms as they walked through the path. She was worried for the whole team and was silently regretting for being rash. Gatou was a filthy rich man so how can they be sure that he didn't hire a higher-level ninja? Maybe he thinks that Tazuna is dead.

A sound off to their right alerted the squad and Naruto launched a shuriken at it. The blond girl was starting to become a little bit jumpy now.

"Naruto! What the hell?!" Sakura yelled at her teammate for jumping the gun like that. She got even more upset at seeing Naruto had nearly hit a rabbit.

Naruto waved her hand off at her teammate's words and looked carefully at the white rabbit. Odd that was what she could definitely describe the rabbit. At this time of the year, the rabbit should be brown not white. So why was it white? There must be an explanation for this.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN NOW!" Just after Kakashi finished warning his squad a large object came spinning out of the trees flying just inches above everyone and slamming into a nearby tree. On top of the sword was a topless man with the same camouflage pants as the chunins that they met early; bandages cover his lower face and his headband tied at an angle on his head.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kirigakure missing-nin Momochi Zabuza. Everybody, get back. This one is on a whole other level."

Kakashi's opponent was quiet as Kakashi reached for his headband. Naruto licked her lips in anticipation, knowing that they will now know what was behind that headband. Everyone in the group wonder what he hid behind the mask and headband.

"It will be a little tough unless I do this."

"So you are Sharingan Kakashi? Sorry but the old man is mine."

_Sharingan? As in the Uchiha clan's Kekkai Genkai? No it couldn't be because from what I read about the clans only someone born into the clan can inherit it but Kakashi isn't related to them is he? He certainly doesn't have the classical looks that are typically associated with the Uchiha Clan._ Naruto thought now wondering why Kakashi was called the copyninja.

"Surround and protect Tazuna-san. Do not enter the fight. That's the teamwork here that will keep you alive. Zabuza, first…" Kakashi said as he lifted the headband from his eye. "Fight me."

Naruto gasped at the sight of the Sharingan. She didn't know anything about that Kekkai Genkai except for the fact that it copies jutsus. The sight of the Sharingan was not one that she had been expecting but now she was curious to know how he got the eye.

"Ah…I already get to see the famous Sharingan. I am honored."

Naruto did a quick glance at Sasuke and saw the troubled expression on his face. It must be hard for him to look at the eye, if it had been her clan's legendary Kekkai Genkai. It was pity that she had no clan but she didn't know anything about her deceased family. Naruto wasn't even sure that Uzumaki was her family's last name.

"When I was a member of Kirigakure's assassin team. I kept a handbook it included information of you. And this is what it said…the man, who has copied over 1000 jutsu…'Copy ninja Kakashi.' Now let us end all the talking. I have to kill that old man. But, Kakashi! It seems I have to beat you first." In the blink of an eye Zabuza and his large sword both vanished from the tree only to reappear on top of the water.

"Is he standing on water?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Do you want me to answer that serious or sarcastically? If I were you, I would lean towards sarcasm." Naruto supplied helpfully. Sakura glared at her but the blond girl was too tense to glare right back at her.

"Kirigakure no jutsu." With that a thick fog appeared and Zabuza vanished.

_He is a missing-nin so he must have some speciality and he must be dangerous if Kakashi-sensei told us not to fight him._

"He will come after me first." Kakashi said, warning them of what will come. "Momochi Zabuza…as a member of Kirigakure… he was known as an expert in silent killing. You don't even notice until you are already dead. It is not like I can use the Sharingan perfectly. You guys be careful."

"**Eight points...the throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclinical artery, the kidney, and the heart...so many choices, what vital, vulnerable place should I pick?"**

Naruto looked and saw Sasuke was terrified but she could feel a presence nearby her. It reeked of bloodlust that much can be certain. She had to do something to snap him out of it.

"YOUR CLAN MUST BE ROLLING ON THEIR GRAVES TO SEE HOW FRICKIN SCARED YOU ARE." Sasuke heard Naruto's voice and looked at her in surprise. The blond girl smirked at him and he silently gave her a nod.

Naruto frowned as she tried to gather chakra into her hand. She hadn't perfected this technique in fact it was a long way from being perfected but maybe it was time to test the experiment to see how much more it needed to be perfected but first she needed to warn them

"Everyone Jump!"

Sasuke, Sakura and Tazuna jumped up as Naruto slammed her fist on the ground making the nearby area rumble like a small earthquake and the ground beneath her become a small crater. Kakashi noticed Zabuza was off balance due to Naruto's attack and he pressed his advantage by reappearing behind him jabbing kunai into his spine. A second Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, which did not go unnoticed by Naruto.

"Sensei! Behind you!" It was too late as Zabuza's weapon cleft clean through Kakahsi who melted into a puddle of water.

_A water bunshin? No way! In this mist…he copied it!?_

"Don't move Zabuza, it is over! Thanks for the shockwave Naruto." Kakashi now had his kunai to Zabuza's neck.

"The blond girl has got some strength, but do you really think this is over? You don't get it. There is no way you can defeat me with your monkey-like imitations. Hehe…but that was impressive of you! While the blond girl screamed for everyone to jump you made the clone and while I was thrown off by the shockwave, used my own Kirigakure technique to watch me! Too bad for you though..."

A voice came from behind Kakashi making his eyes widen.

"But, I am also not that easy." The Zabuza that Kakashi had cornered melted into a puddle.

"Why the hell do they keep using the water clone? It is making the fight last way longer!" Naruto knew very well that this fight was way out of her league but that didn't mean she didn't want any action. Zabuza swung his sword in a wide arc making Kakashi duck while the swordsmen stuck his sword into the ground so he could swing his body and kick Kakashi away towards the water. Kakashi slammed into the water and for some reason found it much harder to move his limbs then normally.

_What? This water is heavy…_

"Heh…fool." Zabuza said as he formed hand-seals for a jutsu. "Suiro no jutsu." Before Kakashi could escape, a large sphere of water surrounded him while Zabuza stood off to its side with one arm in the prison keeping it functional.

"You tried to escape to the to the water. Big mistake. Now I have you in an inescapable prison!"

_If he was trying to be funny than he failed! Even the Hokage is funnier than he is._ Naruto thought as she watched one of the destroyed water clone reformed itself slowly drawing its sword as it stared down the genin.

"Hehe, wearing those head-bands and acting like ninjas. A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death. Only when you're good enough to be listed in the bingo book than can you start calling yourself ninjas, you are not ninjas."

Naruto barely ducked from the under kick from Zabuza. If it hadn't been for her survival instincts from the streets, she wouldn't have been able to dodge it.

"Not bad but not good enough to save you." Naruto could see that large sword held above the clone's head about to crash down on her. The position that he was in told her that he will swing his sword to her right so as the sword came down, time seemed to slow for the blond girl and she rolled to the left and drew out her kunai.

She smiled when she saw an opening and as the sword came down impacting on the dirt, Naruto used her strength to fling the kunai at the water clone watching as the kunai pierced its chest making it dissolve into another puddle. Naruto immediately got to her feet as Sasuke landed close to her.

"Take Tazuna-san and run! You have no chance of beating him! As long as he is keeping me trapped in this prison he can't move! The water clone can't go very far from his real body. Just run away!"

"That is admirable Kakashi but this ends now." Zabuza made a single hand-seal and another water clone appeared on the edge of the lake. Naruto looked at her hand and knew that this was the last one to use that technique. It took tremendous amounts of control and her control was now average for a genin but it will be a few more years before the control will be good enough for this technique.

_Is he mad! The man will kill him before going straight towards us and than he will kill us! We are newbies so we have no chance of defeating him but…_Naruto grinned to the horror of her teammates but Sasuke was also taken back by the gleam in the girl's eyes.

"What is it like living without eyebrows, freak?" Zabuza glared at the smiling blond girl while everyone gawked at her.

"Put this in your damn bingo, the woman who will one day surpass any of the strong kunoichi! Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha Genin!" For added emphasis Naruto stuck her tongue out.

"Hey bastard, I got a plan." Sasuke looked at her and was taken back by the confident smile on her face.

"Oh now teamwork from you?" Naruto's eyes twitched but she remembered the situation at hand and forgave him…for now. Zabuza was getting annoyed and summoned another Mizu clone from the previous destroyed one who blocked the genin from making it to their sensei.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! RUN AWAY! THIS FIGHT WAS OVER THE MOMENT I WAS CAUGHT! OUR DUTY IS TO PROTECT TAZUNA-SAN! DID YOU FORGET THAT?!"

"Sensei, don't take any offence at my words but just shut the hell up and let us do our job! I am not going to abandon my teammate that just makes me worse than scum! And I am not scum!" Kakashi had to smile inwardly at his students taking his lesson to heart but against Zabuza this was suicide.

Naruto looked at Tazuna and quietly asked. "Oji-san, would you mind…?"

Tazuna looked down at the floor. "Well, I planted this seed myself. I am not going to now say that I desire to live so much that I would stop you." Naruto smiled at his words. "I am sorry guys. Fight as much as you want."

"You hear that?" Sasuke asked, giving her a cocky look that she hated so much.

Naruto grinned at him. "Are you ready?"

Zabuza chuckled at them and Naruto furrowed her eyebrows at him. "You guys will never grow up." He declared.

The blond girl kept a cool mask at him, which unnerved the missing-nin, and softly asked. "May I ask why do you say such a thing?"

The swordsmen grinned and looked at his hands with such delight that it chilled her to the bone. "When I was about your age, these hands were already dyed with blood."

Naruto looked at her own hands and remembered the chunin that she had killed so easily. She gulped as she remembered the gaze look in his eyes, the hatred in his brother's eyes and the need that she now has to cleanse her hand of his blood. The man was a monster or why else can he talk about killing so easily? Naruto knew right than that she didn't want to end up like him. She bit her lips, hoping that it would stop her from trembling in fear. The taste of her blood made it worse instead of better.

"Devil…Zabuza." Kakashi muttered. He looked at his students and wasn't surprised to see the fear in their eyes or to see them trembling with said fear but he was surprised by the fact that Naruto was biting her lips so hard. This had to be one of the most unexpected things that he had ever seen from her.

"Ah…" Zabuza's voice snapped him from his thoughts. "So you have heard a little about it."

"Long ago, in the Hidden Mist village, also called the Blood Mist Village, there was a final obstacle in becoming a ninja…" Kakashi said, looking tense as he said this.

"You even know about that graduation exam…" The dark look on Zabuza's eyes made Naruto wonder what was the graduation exam.

"That exam?" Naruto asked, looking at the two older ninjas with curiosity.

Zabuza chuckled. Naruto looked at the missing nin in anger and annoyance but tried to keep a cool head as she thought of a way to phrase her question. She could feel sweat on her forehead clearer each passing minute that Zabuza kept chuckling.

"What is this graduation exam that you did?"

Zabuza didn't answer instead he continued with his dark evil chuckles. The Leaf genins looked alarm at his laughter, what was so funny about the question? After all she had asked a good question if she dare say so herself.

After the swordsman stopped his evil laughter, he turned to the three genins and gave them a dark look. "Fights to the death between students." He answered.

The three genins and Tazuna were alarmed at this declaration. Naruto stared at Zabuza and clenched her hands into a fist. To kill your own classmates that had to be one of the cruellest things that a kid could be forced to do. She couldn't fathom the feelings that those kids had felt.

"Friends who have trained and eaten at the same table are pitted against each other and go at it until one of them loses his life." The swordsman looked at them in amusement and continued. "These are friends who had helped each other and shared dreams."

"Terrible." Muttered a shell-shocked Sakura.

"It is barbaric." Naruto stated.

"10 years ago, the Hidden Mist graduation exam was forced to change." Kakashi looked tense as he said this. "This change came after the previous year when a devil appeared."

Sakura looked at their sensei with curiosity and asked. "Change."

Neither Zabuza nor Kakashi answered the question. "What change? What did this devil do?" Sakura yelled out in frustration.

After a minute of silence, Zabuza answered the question. "Without pause or hesitation, a young boy, who was not even a ninja, had killed over a hundred of the graduating students." He closed his eyes in fondness. "That sure was fun."

In the blink of an eye the clone slammed into Sasuke sending him to the ground and standing over him with a foot on his chest.

"Die." Zabuza said, deepening his step on Sasuke's stomach.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura was worried for Sasuke even through he had been the rookie of the year she just saw him get taken down like it was nothing. On the surface, Naruto looked like the epitome of calm but in the inside the blond girl was pissed, nobody hurts her teammates even if he was too cocky for his own good. It was her job to remind him that he wasn't that great, through him being her friend was a bonus.

"That is my friend that you are hurting, freak! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Over a dozen clones of Naruto appeared each with a kunai in hand. Zabuza was truly impressed that a genin knew such a high chakra cost technique and could use it well.

"Ah, shadow clones and such a large amount!" Naruto quietly made the signal for the shadow clones to start attacking the man. All of the shadow clones leapt upon the mist assassin to the annoyance of the original that wasn't how she was hoping that they would do it but it would have to do. She frowned as she watched the swordsman spun his sword around in omnidirectional arc around him destroying the clones. She grinned when she realized that he wasn't paying attention to them but at the clones themselves.

As this was happening, Naruto dug into her pack and withdrew a weapon hoping that her spun on the moment plan would work.

"Sasuke, catch!" Naruto tossed him a windmill shuriken and she noticed his look of understanding as he caught it and she grinned at him, which made him realize that she looked nicer when she smiled.

"Shuriken are useless against me!" The clone said as Sasuke took to the air launching the projectile with all his might. The clone could only watch as the shuriken went right past him towards the true Zabuza.

"At least you were smart enough to target the real me but it won't work...AMATUER!" Zabuza said as he caught it only to notice a split-second later another one just under it. All three genin watched with anticipation as the second shuriken came closer and closer though all but Naruto's hopes were dashed. The blond girl smiled as the Naruto sitting on the ground vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Never insult me, Freak!" The second shuriken turned out to be the real Naruto who threw another windmill shuriken at Zabuza watching with a huge smirk on her face as he let go of the prison to dodge and her smirk turned into a smile as she saw that she had managed to cut his cheek with her aim.

_That cheeky brat!_ Just as Zabuza was about to launch the shuriken that he had caught at her but was stopped by something. He turned his head to come face to face with Kakashi's sharingan eye.

"Now Zabuza, it is game over."

* * *

**Author Note: Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed and added this to their favourites and follows.**

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, happy to see that their sensei was now able to join the battle once more.

Naruto finally surfaced from the water, trying her best to swim back to surface. She was coughing alone the way to the surface, as she was trying to gasp for breath.

"I don't even get a word of thanks." She said angrily when she got to land. "What am I to them chopped live? I did the hard work as well!"

Sakura smiled apologetically at the young girl, who rolled her eyes as a response but a proud grin could be seen on the girl's face.

"Naruto, great plan…all of you have grown up."

The blonde smiled and pretended to blush as she said. "Aw, shucks sensei, you are getting me embarrassed."

The pink-haired girl eyebrow twitch at her teammate and was severely tempted to punch her teammate on the nose for trying to be funny in such a serious situation. However, she didn't, knowing that the girl will give her a lecture of doing such a thing.

"I got distracted and released the jutsu."

Naruto crossed her arms indignant of the man's reluctance to admit that her plan hadn't just distracted him. It had surprised him since he didn't consider that she had the brains to do such a thing or that she was actually brave to do such a reckless plan. Also, she practically forced him to release the jutsu.

It seemed like Kakashi had the same thought.

"Wrong! You didn't release it." Kakashi said, glaring at the Nuke-nin. "You were forced to release it. I will tell you that I don't fall for the same jutsu twice. What will you do?"

The blond-haired girl licked her lips in anticipation as Zabuza jumped back and with precision, going through all forty-two hand-seals of a Suiton jutsu. Her breath hitched at the sight of Kakashi going through the same hand-seals at the exact speed as Zabuza.

Was this what a jounin can do?

"Suiton: Water Dragon Blast no Jutsu!" Both shinobi cried out while the genin squad and Tazuna gap as two large dragons made entirely of water emerged and crashed into each other.

_I am so going to learn it or the very least get enough chakra-control until I am able to do such a cool jutsu._ Naruto thought, unconsciously nodding her head as her sensei and Zabuza go head to head just after the dragon collided.

Her frown deepened when she noticed the panic look on Zabuza's face. The man looked like he was seeing a ghost when there is no actual ghost so why did he have such a look? Hmm, there must be some kind of trick in it.

"—Through them all."

What the hell were they talking about?

"Heh…all you're doing is copying me. You can't beat me you monkey bastard!"

Naruto knew that it was a bad idea to laugh but in all honesty, she couldn't help it. In actual fact, this whole situation was just messed up and it was all because this troublesome client hadn't bother to mention his problem in the first place…through he did have no choice.

Even she could understand the motive of why he didn't tell them.

"Suiton: Water Explosion no Jutsu!"

The shout snapped her out of her thoughts and she watched as Zabuza was carried by the huge vortex of water as it carried him off.

"Must he go overboard?" Naruto asked herself as Zabuza's body was slammed against a large tree followed by a shurikin in each limb, which prevented him from moving.

Sakura and Sasuke arched their eyebrows at the girl, who simply gave a sheepish smile as a response, causing them to sigh at the blonde. How the girl can be so perceptive at times they did not know! Through they knew that Naruto could be quite the idiot when she wants to be.

"Are you sure that you are a ninja?"

Naruto lips twitch at Tazuna's comment and she was about to take out a kunai and throw at the old man but stopped, feeling a sense of foreboding. Something told her that something dangerous and it wasn't the air around them that was telling her.

"Naruto, you aren't supposed to kill the client!" Sakura shrill voice said, snapping her from her thoughts.

The blonde pouted and asked. "Can I maim him then? I won't be going against the rules!"

Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes at the blond-haired girl, giving her a pointed look that caused her to scowl at them. Didn't they understand that the sot was insulting her? She opened her mouth to tell them that but before she could, something unexpected happened.

Before Kakashi could even plunge his kunai into Zabuza's neck, two senbon needles droved into the Nuke-nin's neck killing him. All three genins gawked at this, including Naruto, who looked ready to fight the person that had just killed Zabuza.

"Hehe…you're right. He's dead." A young teen said, wearing a swirl mask with the mist insignia on it.

"Thank you very much. I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a very long time."

Naruto blinked her eyes at the sight in front of her before gritting her teeth. There was a need for her to knock someone out; this was so unfair that this person had been able to do something that they couldn't do. Not only that this individual seems to look like the same age as her and the others perhaps a little bit older.

"That mask…you're a Hidden Mist Hunter-nin…"

"Impressive…you are correct."

Her teeth were starting to hurt from her clenching her teeth but she was just so goddamn angry that a kid her age was able to defeat him without any trouble. Her temper started to cool down and the blonde started to think about what Kakashi had just said. This person admitted that he was a hunter-nin. Naruto frowned. Something was suspicious about this guy.

She wasn't saying this because he defeated Zabuza.

No, it is the weapon that he had used that made it suspicious. Senbons…there are never used for assassination if her readings were correct because they don't have much of a killing power hence the reason why they use Kunais. The only way, a person can kill using a senbon is to hit in a critical area.

"Are you really a Hunter-nin?" Naruto asked herself, looking at the masked person with a thoughtful look. "Or are you a helper?"

"Naruto-baka! Why the hell would you ask such a stupid question!?" Sakura yelled, bobbing her head.

The blonde opened her mouth to tell her the reason but decided to close it. There was a probability that she was wrong and he was truly a Hunter-nin but there was also a chance that he is a helper, which if it was true then none of them stood a chance of fighting this guy now.

Simply put, neither her nor Sasuke were strong enough and Kakashi was worn down.

_Damn it, I will have to let this guy go now. Fighting him would lead into a very one-sided battle. _Naruto thought grimly, looking at the boy in front of her with tiredness.

"This is so unfair!" Naruto couldn't help but say. "He was able to defeat Zabuza as if it was a piece of cake and he wasn't some weakling! Do we suck or what!"

Kakashi walked over to his student and patted her head, causing her to look at him. Slowly, the sliver-haired jounin noticed the weariness in her eyes and a sense of dread washed over him.

The blonde must have noticed something that they didn't.

"In this world, there exist kids younger than you yet stronger than me."

Nodding, the blonde looked at the boy wearily and then looked at her sensei, before sighing. She knew what she had to do since it was only the right thing to do.

"Sensei, he isn't a hunter-nin! He is using senbon…" she whispered. "And why hasn't he burned the body yet? Aren't all Hunter-nin kill bodies on sight? This is suspicious sensei. There's a chance that he is working for Zabuza."

Kakashi nodded and kept a huge smile plastered on his face while in the inside, he was grimacing. He could engage in battle but he will not win in this condition while Naruto and Sasuke were good in fighting, they weren't in the level needed to fight this guy.

It seems like he will have to play the boy's game.

"Your battle is now over…and now I must dispose of this body. Since it seems to be a body with many secrets… farewell." And with a simple shunshin the young hunter-nin vanished with Zabuza's body.

"Now, we have to get Tazuna-san back to his home." Kakashi announced, giving Naruto a look that they will discuss about her suspicions to the others later. "Let's go!"

"Come over to my house and relax for a while!" But before any of them could take a single step, Kakashi fell over flat on his face.

Naruto sighed and picked up her sensei, already knowing that it would be a long and boring walk.

* * *

It had been a day since they arrived to Tazuna's house and their sensei was still fast asleep to the blonde's frustration. They needed to discuss about the hunter-nin and her teammates were planning to take Kakashi's mask in the corner while Tazuna was simply taking a sip of his sake, staring out of space while his daughter talk to him.

"Naruto, aren't you at least one bit curious about what's behind Kakashi-sensei's mask?"

"Of course I am but this isn't the time to do such a thing." Naruto said harshly. "There is a chance that a stronger enemy might come and harm us! And we don't have the necessary training to beat them."

"But Naruto, we have Kakashi-"

"So what if we have Kakashi? We can't be weak and rely on him! I didn't become a shinobi to be some pansy!" Naruto said angrily, slamming her hand on the table. "For all we know that vile man might hired someone to attack us now that sensei is passed out! We need to prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario! Do you think that we are strong enough to handle a jounin? Because I don't think so!"

Sakura and Sasuke rubbed their necks at the blonde's outburst, not knowing how to respond to the girl's words. They looked at the blue-eyed girl, who looked ready to kill them for acting like a child.

"You know Naruto-chan, you should learn to relax a little and you must learn to keep your temper in check."

All three genins whipped their heads to look at Kakashi, whose eyes were now wide opened. Sakura was angry at the fact that Naruto had ruined any chance of finding out what was behind the mask while Sasuke felt a little bit frightened but this couldn't be seen.

He had never known that Naruto could be so scary.

"Well, you can't exactly blame me can you? I mean this isn't the time to be having a picnic." Naruto retorted, crossing her arms at her sensei. "Since you know…the hunter-nin was a fake!"

"Naruto-baka aren't you taking that a little bit-"

"You are right about this isn't the time to be having a picnic, Naruto-chan-"

"Sensei let me remind you if you call me Naruto-chan again then I will personally make sure that you will never have kids again." Naruto said, cracking her fist as she said this. She grinned and looked at Sasuke. "You too, Sasuke. I know you won't ever call me by that vile word but this is a heads-up."

Kakashi and Sasuke gulped at this.

"Anyways, Naruto is right."

"About what sensei?" Sakura asked, furrowing her eyebrows at her.

Kakashi sighed and ruffled his own hair. "The Hunter-nin is indeed a fake." He said. "Naruto was lucky to realize this and was smart to inform me instead of engaging a battle with the nin."

"Oh-"

_One…two…three_, Naruto thought, counting down for the inevitable reaction.

Immediately, the two other genins blanched at this along with Tazuna while Tsunami looked weary at this proclamation.

"You got to be kidding me sensei!" Sakura yelled, realizing what their sensei had just said. "You check it yourself, Zabuza was dead."

"Yes, I did but that was most likely a temporary death."

"Sakura, you are probably the smartest one out of the three of us…did you notice the weapons that he had used?" Naruto asked, flickering her eyes at her teammates.

"He used senbons."

"I presume that you studied extensively so I will presume you know that senbons have very little killing power." Naruto said to her teammate.

"Yes…oh." Sakura said, realizing the point her teammate was trying to make. "You mean to tell me that he had aimed spots in which that it could make it seem like he was truly dead."

"Exactly."

"But how would he know?" Sakura asked.

"I honestly don't know." Naruto admitted. "I haven't studied that far ahead, all I know is that Hunter-nins are suppose to dispose of the body immediately and that senbon have very little killing power unless hitting critical areas."

"This is because Hunter-nins are suppose to know about the body, Naruto." Kakashi explained to them. "So for them to put someone in temporary death, it would be very easy to do."

"But why would he do something like this?" Sasuke asked, finally speaking up since the conversation started.

"There's a possibility that he was there to save Zabuza, not kill him." Kakashi answered.

"Aren't you thinking too much? Hunter-nins are supposed to kill nuke-nins." Tazuna said.

"It is a possibility that we can't ignore." Naruto said dryly. "Ignoring it means that we are dead. As much as I want to ignore it…I don't want to die."

"Naruto, don't speak so casually about dying!"

Sighing, the blonde clasped her hands behind her head and said. "Death is inevitable. All of us will die and people die every day so I guess I can talk casually about death."

"Chubby-"

"Bubblegum!" Naruto mimicked, tilting her head at the girl.

"As much as I want to hear the two of you have a catfight, this isn't the time." Kakashi said, glaring at his students. "Now, Naruto was right, we can't ignore the possibility. With all the suspicion…we will prepare before it is too late. That's a shinobi rule."

"The only good rule that they have." Naruto supplied, looking quite weary at the mention of the shinobi rules.

"Ahem…whether Zabuza is dead or alive…there's no guarantee that Gatou hasn't hired an even stronger shinobi."

The blonde grinned at the mention of a stronger opponent. It was a dream of hers to be one of the strongest shinobi in the country, perhaps the world and wasn't the best way to be stronger was to fight stronger opponents? She licked her lips at the thought of fighting stronger opponents.

If she can defeat the strongest opponent then she have fulfill her promise.

"Sensei, what do you mean preparing before it's too late? You can barely move." Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi laughed at this and said. "You guys will receive training."

"Training?" Sakura asked, tilting her head at him.

Naruto simply grinned at the mention of training, bouncing at this and looking ready to run out of the room. Kakashi smiled, knowing just how much the blonde loved to train.

"Sensei! What's a little training going to do? Our enemy is a ninja you struggled even with the sharingan!" Sakura shouted.

Naruto looked down at the floor, knowing that her teammate was right about the fact that their sensei had trouble with Zabuza. Yet, didn't t they say small changes will lead to something bigger or something about that.

"Sakura…who saved me while I was struggling?" Kakashi asked. He didn't bother to wait for the pink-haired girl's reply. "You guys are growing rapidly."

"Awe, sucks. That makes me blush." Naruto said, pretending to blush.

The two genins laughed at Naruto's words while Kakashi shook his head at his young genin's joke.

"You improved the most Naruto." Kakashi said, causing everyone to stop laughing.

"I will take that as an complement." The blonde said dryly.

Kakashi sighed as the blue-eyed girl and said. "But obviously, this is just training until I get better, you won't be able to defeat him without me."

"Way to go for stating the obvious, Captain." Naruto mumbled, leaning against the wall.

"But sensei, if Zabuza is alive he could attack at anytime, so should we be training?"

"I hate to agree with Bubblegum but should we truly be training? I like the idea and in theory this is a good idea but he is alive and he can attack anytime." Naruto said, looking out at the window.

"About that…a person put in a momentary death situation will not be able to move for quite sometime so it will be a while before his body returns to normal." Kakashi said. "So we train until then!"

"What are we going to learn sensei? Are you going to teach us some cool jutsu? Or is it that shunshin that the fake guy used to get out of here? What? I am just so hyper for some strange reason."

Kakashi smiled, happy to see that the young girl was giving a real smile but a part of him was quite curious to know about the real reason for the fake smiles. It was nice to see the girl to be cheerful instead of being cynical.

"When we get outside Naruto, I shall explain about the training but right now help me up please."

"Since you are training us for once, I suppose I can help you." Naruto said, grinning at him.

He sighed at the fake smile.

* * *

The blonde whistled at the sight of the forest clearing. Her hands were itching to grab a piece of paper and to draw the scenery as it had to be one of the most beautiful forest that she had been to-not that she had been to many. This was the curse of being an orphan and not knowing your own family.

Family…

Naruto shook her head at her thoughts and concentrated all of her thoughts on Kakashi and her team, wishing to forget about those sad times.

"Ok, we will now start the training."

Naruto grinned at the mention of training, flickering her eyes towards the sky before looking back at her sensei.

"Now, can you tell us about the training we are about to do?"

"I am going to teach you to climb trees."

The blue-eyed girl blinked her eyes and said. "Sensei, are you alright? Maybe we should take you to the hospital."

"You are going to climb trees without using your hands."

"Naruto, do you know any good hospital here?" Sakura asked the blonde.

"Well…I could always go and ask Tazuna."

Kakashi laughed at the blonde's words while Sakura and Sasuke slapped their foreheads, wondering what they deserve to have such an insane sensei. Naruto was praying that their sensei was mad, just so she could take him to the psychiatrist.

What? There must be something wrong if a man reads porn in front of everyone.

"No, you two, I do not need to go to hospital but it might be better if I show you what I mean." Kakashi said as he put his hands in a ram seal, and with his crutches walked up the tree until he was hanging from the branch by his feet.

"See this is what I mean."

"I believe you sensei…but this doesn't mean you are not going to the hospital to check your sanity."

Kakashi shook his head and said. "I am glad that you said this and for your information, I am sane."

"Right…"

"So sensei, how do we do this?" Sakura asked, stopping Naruto from making a sarcastic comment.

"Good of you to ask, Sakura. You need to channel chakra through your feet to allow you to stick to the tree. It is hard to channel chakra into your feet, which will help you to increase your chakra control. This will help you to use less chakra when using jutsu." Kakashi pulled out three kunai and threw them towards his genin, each kunai lay in front of their feet.

"Use those kunais to mark how high you make it up the tree." Kakashi said. "Then use that mark as your goal and try to surpass it. You guys won't be good enough to just walk up the tree at first. So get some momentum and try running up the tree. Got it?"

Naruto rubbed her chin as she picked up the kunai. Looking at the tree, she tried to figure out the best way to figure out how to use her chakra properly. Out of everyone in the team, she had the most chakra. Something, she had figured out during the last two years of the Academy and she had done a lot of training to fix that little issue.

So how does she know that she had used her chakra effectively?

"Why aren't you in hurry to climb the tree Naruto?"

The blonde frowned and looked at her sensei before answering. "I have no idea of knowing if I am using my chakra effectively."

"You will never know until you try."

"Very true, sensei but there is a risk of me falling on my head, which might mean I get a concussion." Naruto said. "And I don't want to have any mental problems like you."

Kakashi arched his visible eyebrow at his student, who gave him a cheeky grin, and watched as the young girl concentrated of gathering her chakra. The ground around their feet glowed blue from the slightly flaring chakra.

_Well, I haven't imagined her getting that far._ Kakashi thought as Naruto made it halfway through the tree before marking her progress. The young girl had leap down gracefully for once instead of tumbling down. He looked at Sasuke, who made it only a few steps before the amount of chakra that he had used blew off. Sakura made it to the very top.

Naruto scowled and looked at the tree before unconsciously nodding her head.

"Naruto, how are you and Sakura able to get so far while I simply blown off?"

"I will tell you…for a price."

"A price?"

Naruto grinned and said. "Well, I will tell you if you say that I am better than you."

"Hn."

"Then you won't get your answer then, bastard." She said smugly as she closed her eyes to gather chakra.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at the young girl's behavior but a small smile could be seen on his face. There was no doubt in his mind, who was the glue that kept the team together but the girl makes him worry at times. Several times had he seen the girl being too quiet and had a daze look.

It creeps him out.

However, he knew better than to question the girl.

* * *

Naruto had never understood why the girls fawn over Sasuke. Of course, she knew the reason but it never truly made sense to her as to how do they think that they can heal someone's broken heart and make him happy? His whole family had been murdered so how could they make him happy? She would ask Sakura but she was eating lunch.

That damn lucky girl…

Kakashi had told her and Sasuke that they couldn't eat until they reached the mark that Sakura had reached.

Their sensei was truly insane.

"Hey, dope."

Naruto turned around and crossed her arms at her teammate. "Call me a dope and I will inform your fangirls, where your hiding place is."

Sasuke paled at this causing the young blonde to grin at him. Oh how she loved the fact that she only had to use his fangirls to get him to stop calling her by that awful nickname. Now, if only she could use that threat on Sakura, when she called her Chubby.

"Duly note."

"Good."

"So…um…Naruto…do…you-"

"You want me to give you some advice?"

Reluctantly, Sasuke nodded, causing the blonde to smile at him. It was nice to see that the boy would admit that she was better at him in something. Her teammate had too much pride.

"I will give you some advice if you would be able to do me a little favor."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at this. If he hadn't known Naruto then he would presume the girl would ask for a date but he did know the blonde and the girl wasn't a fangirl. It might be one of the reasons why he got along with her.

"What do you want? Money? Paints? Ramen? Books? One of my jutsu?"

"All very tempting but no." Naruto gave a sly smile and said. "I shall tell you about the favor when it is time for me to collect it."

"Hn…just remind me when you collect this favor."

"Will do, teme." Naruto said lazily as she stretched her body. Not once had she noticed the fact that Sasuke was blushing as she did this and if she did notice, the girl didn't comment.

"All you need to do is to concentrate and not get distracted, meaning you must have a clear mind."

"Clear…mind…got it."

The blonde frowned and looked at her teammate, noticing that his whole face was red. "Are you alright Sasuke? I can take you to the doctor." She said, looking at him with concern.

She never saw him so red in her life.

"I…am fine." Sasuke whizzed.

The whiskered girl nodded, looking torn between believing him or whether or not to take him to the hospital so that he could be checked. In the end, she decided to believe him.

* * *

Naruto grinned as she took a bite of the food that Tsunami made, occasionally she looked at Sasuke, who was being more quiet than usual. He became awfully quiet after she gave him the tip.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, you both took a long time to finish today? What happened?" Sakura asked, looking at the eating pair.

"Well, me and Sasuke-teme got so much stamina and chakra that is one factor to consider why we took so long. Also, Sasuke said that he was feeling unwell." Naruto said, after swallowing her food.

Sakura and Naruto turned their attention to Sasuke, who was now coughing. The blonde promptly slapped the boy on the back, smiling when the boy was now able to swallow.

"Why do you guys bother to train so hard? No matter how hard you train, you are still no match for Gatou's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work when facing the strong, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

"That's why we train kid and I train hard because I have something to prove and to keep a promise. I am not like you kid. I don't sit down and cry."

"I would hate to be like you! You don't know anything about this country, yet you're being so nosy!" Inari yelled. "I am different from you, you're always clowning around and acting so cheerful, you don't know how hard life can be!"

That's it. No more little miss nice girl.

Everyone gasped when Naruto slammed her hand onto the table and they were shocked to see the anger in her eyes. Not even her teammates had ever seen her so angry.

"I don't know how hard life can be? I know what it is like to suffer! Hell, I have been suffering my whole life." Naruto said calmly, looking at the boy with anger.

"You like having your mother and grandfather?! Well, good for you because I never knew my own family! Has the matron of your orphanage ever beaten you up for something you couldn't control? No? Well you are damn lucky because I was! Have you ever seen the one person that treated you well die in front of your own eyes die, and you know that it was your fault? Well I sure as hell did! Do you have to deal with glares and hateful remarks, saying thing that would make any sane person cry? No? Well I do! Don't say I don't know how to suffer because I have been suffering since I was born!"

Everyone watched in silence as the blonde stood up, having a cold look in her eyes.

"Kid, you don't know shit about true suffering. You got your family and this hell that you got will disappear one day and you will one day forget but…for me I will never forget."

Sakura and Sasuke frowned as the blonde walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Inari began to sniffle before running up the stairs. Kakashi grimaced, wondering why the Hokage hadn't informed him that much detail of the past.

She will tell you when the time is ready that was the Hokage words before they left for the mission.

"I apologize Tazuna-san but that's a sensitive subject for her."

"You can say that again…but is it really that bad for her?"

Kakashi nodded, looking trouble at some information that Naruto had just said. Sasuke and Sakura were really worried for their teammate, not once since the formation of their team had they seen the young girl look so angry. Not even the time when one of her fanboys tried to make a move on her. Sakura was about to get up but Kakashi's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Sakura, it isn't a wise idea to bring her back as it would just set her off. If she doesn't return tonight then I will send either you or Sasuke to get her in the morning." Sakura nodded hesitantly at him.

The last thing Kakashi needed was for Naruto to punch Inari.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto went back to the clearing where they did and just as she got to the center of the clearing, she allowed herself to cry.

She hated crying but that little kid made her remember her life before the Hokage had saved her from. He saved her from the orphanage and gave her a new start. Not once had he blamed her for what happened even through it was all her fault that _she _died and nothing the old man says or do can erase this detail.

Before dying,_ she_ had asked her to become a strong kunoichi and to fulfill her dream.

"But am I doing it the way you wanted?" Naruto sobbed, looking up at the night sky. "I mean I am not stupid but I am not as strong as you would have wanted me to be."

The blonde laughed bitterly and said. "The more I spend time with them, the more I am afraid of forgetting about you."

The wind brushed against her cheek causing the girl to smile a little before continuing. "Half of the time, I behave the way you would have behaved and the other half of the time, I act like myself…but who am I? Am I a monster or am I just a girl, who been through too much?"

Throughout the whole night, Naruto spoke to the night sky as if it was the most normal thing to do.

The next morning everyone but Naruto was gathered around the table as Tsunami made breakfast.

"Naruto stayed out the whole night?" Tazuna asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the bridge design in front of him.

"Yup, ever since the argument with Inari." Kakashi said as he read his precious book.

"Knowing her, she may have used too much chakra and died by now." Sakura yawned as she took the plate that Tsunami offered her.

"I hope she's alright. A child all alone at night in the woods…"

"Don worry!" Kakashi said, smiling at the young mother. "She may not look like it but she's a true ninja."

"I don't know…it wouldn't surprise me if she was dead." Sasuke grumbled. "She always takes things too far."

Back in the clearing, Naruto was sleeping quite peacefully, covered in dirt and grass stains while a stranger crouched over her body. The stranger looked like he was contemplating whether to kill her or not but instead the person grabbed her shoulder and shook it.

"You will catch a cold sleeping in a place like this." The stranger said.

"Huh? Who are you?" Naruto asked, rubbing her eyes at the stranger.

The stranger didn't answer but the blonde noticed the plants in her basket, causing the blonde to believe that the person was simply a civilian grabbing some random plants.

"Mind if I help you?"

The stranger smiled and nodded her head at her, describing the plant for her to pick. Naruto grinned and went to straight in helping the kind person that had woken her up from her sleep.

As they collected, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling that they had met before but she shook that thought away because there was no way that she could forget the girl's face, right?

"So, these plants are for medicine right?" Naruto asked, dangling the plant in front of the person.

She nodded at her and said. "Thank you for helping me out."

"It is no problem but you sure work early." Naruto commented, putting the plant into the basket.

The girl smiled at her and said. "You too. What are you doing here at this time of the morning?"

"Well, I was planning to train."

"Training? So you are a shinobi?"

Naruto nodded her head and said. "Yes and I plan to be one of the best."

"Why are you training?"

"Many reason…one of them is to become stronger than I already am." Naruto answered. "I want to be stronger than the Hokage."

"Hmm…but you already look strong." The girl replied.

The blonde looked down at her hands before answering softly. "I am not strong because if I was then _that_ incident wouldn't have happened."

"What incident?"

Naruto didn't answer and the girl didn't push her to her pleasure.

"Do you have anyone special in your life Naruto-san?"

"If you are speaking in romance then hell no. What sane person would ever wish to date me? But if you speaking about someone precious to me then yes I do."

The memories of the kids in the orphanage along with Iruka, Hokage, Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke came to her mind as she said this.

"You will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere oh and you should know…"

Naruto listened intently to what the girl was about to say to her.

"I'm a…"

* * *

**A/N: I am sorry that I haven't updated for a long time but life had caught up but this doesn't mean I have given up on the fanfic. Now a few of you were asking me why I named FemNaruto, Naruto instead of Naruko and the answer is, I can't find a suitable name for her and I dislike the name Naruko. I also wish to hear your views on Naruto's behavior, wondering how you would describe her as of now.**

**It is going to start slowing down in the next chapter as; the next chapter will be the appearance of Gaara. I did it in the beginning because I just wanted to introduce Naruto's behavior before her meeting of Gaara, to show you just what she is like with her team.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed and added this to their favourites and follows.**

* * *

"I'm a boy."

Naruto blinked her eyes and gaped at the boy. There was no way in hell that he was a boy? He acted more like a girl than Sakura and that's saying something. She pinched herself, hoping it was a dream. What's the wrong with the world? Now, hot guys look like girls? What's next, her father being the Hokage?

The boy giggled at her and the blonde flushed in embarrassment. She rubbed the back of her neck and wondered if she was stupid for not realizing it earlier? It's embarrassing for her not to realize that he's a boy. His eyelashes and long hair made him seem like a girl.

She watched him as he left her in clearing.

This was probably one of the worse days in her life and she had a lot of bad days.

"It's time for breakfast dope." Sasuke said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

The blonde grinned at him and asked. "Did you come here because you're worried about me? I knew that you cared about me." She grinned. "Is it possible that you've a little crush on me?"

The raven-haired boy blushed before scowling at her. "Why the hell would I've crush on you?!" he yelled. "I mean you're so sarcastic and you never…"

The blue-eyed girl grinned at him, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Oh come on, how can't you not have a crush on me?" she wiggled her eyebrows. "I'm after all the most beautiful girl in our whole village."

"Aren't you full of yourself." Sasuke said, staring wearily at the smiling blonde.

"I don't see you denying the fact that I'm the most beautiful girl in our village." Naruto smirked. "Not that I blame you. Who wouldn't like my beautiful blond hair and dazzling blue eyes."

"Hn!"

The blonde gave a mock scowl and said. "I take a offense to that. I'm not vain and you know it."

"Hn." Sasuke smirked.

"Keep insulting me and I'll tell Sakura and the other fangirls about your hiding places." Naruto said nonchalantly. "I'll also have no problems about telling them that you would _love_ to go on a date with them."

"You wouldn't dare!" He snarled.

"Try me." The blonde said, grinning at him. "I mean what do I have got to loose?"

"Tell them and I won't help you escape from those fanboys of yours."

"Fair enough." Naruto said, shrugging her shoulders at him. "I definitely need your help with them." She scowled. "I curse at them and yet they wished to date me…what's wrong with them?"

"Hn."

"I agree with you, Sasuke-teme." Naruto said, grinning at him. "I'll never understand them and I certainly don't want to become like them. The day, I become a fangirl is the day that you have a crush on a girl."

"I guess then you're going to become a fangirl." Sasuke mumbled.

The blonde looked at him in shock. Did her teammate just admit that he has a crush on a girl? Who's the girl? She must be one hell of a girl to get her teammate to have a crush. She rubbed her chin and tried to think about who the girl might be. Was it Hinata? No, the two of them aren't compatible. Ino? No, Sasuke hated the girl with a passion. Sakura? No, her teammate didn't care for their teammate like that.

She curled her hair and sighed. The only way for her to know now is to ask him about who the girl is.

"Sasuke-teme, who's the girl that you have a crush on?"

"Hn."

The blonde pouted at him and cried. "Come on, why won't you tell me! I'm your friend and I'll definitely know a way for you to win the girl's heart."

"No."

"At least give me a clue." She said, pouting him. "Is it a girl that I know?" she frowned. "Please tell me it's not one of your fangirls."

He scowled at her and said. "Of course, it isn't one of the fangirls! You know damned well that I'll never date them."

"Well…you did mention that you'll never give me a compliment but you did." She pointed out. "So it's only reasonable for me to think that you might have a crush on them."

"The girl I like isn't a fangirl, Naruto! The girl I like is…" he trailed off and his face started to turn red. The blonde leaned towards Sasuke and the older boy's face turned even redder. Why the hell does he always seem to behave like this? Is he getting sick? This reminds her of the time that Iruka made her take him home.

"Well, whoever the girl is, I'm sure she's one lucky girl." Naruto said grinning at him. "After all, you're one of the most eligible bachelors in the village or…so your fangirls says."

He looked at her and she was taken back by the foreign emotion in his eyes. She had seen him direct that look to her before. The last time she had seen it was a few days before his family died. Now, that she thought about it, their friendship started to fade after their death. However, thanks to them being in the same team, this was no longer the case.

"Come on, bastard, I'm starving." She grinned. "I haven't eaten anything since last night."

"And whose fault is that?" He spluttered.

"Well…it certainly not my fault." Naruto said. "It must be your fault because you've stolen all the food!"

"Hn. Are you saying that I eat a lot."

"I'm not saying, I know." She said cheekily. "I mean you've got big belly…are you exercising Sasuke-teme?"

He shook his head at her and for a moment, Naruto swore that she saw a little bit of the old Sasuke. Maybe, the boy wasn't that lost and just maybe she'll get her friend back. She wasn't a fool. She knows he will never be the Sasuke that she knew and care for but this didn't mean that she didn't hope.

"Last one to the house is a rotten egg." Naruto yelled as she ran towards the house.

"Dope!"

* * *

The next morning Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke all were gearing up to go to the bridge while Naruto slept on. Kakashi stared at the sleeping blonde and sighed as she turned over the futon. He knew that it would be best to leave her here since she had spent the whole night training. Out of the three of them, only Naruto would push herself to her limit.

"Goodbye! Please take care of Naruto." Kakashi said as he turned his head to look at Tsunami. "She's pushed her body to the limit and I doubt that she'll be able to move today."

Tsunami glanced at the blonde, who seemed to be twisting and turning in the futon. Her face was beaded with sweat and the crunching of her face along with the whimper, gives Kakashi an idea that she wasn't having a good dream.

"_I didn't mean to kill you."_ Naruto whispered so quietly that only he could hear it. He frowned and remembered that the young girl had her first kill a few weeks ago. He felt guilty for not talking to her but with the training and everything else, it had slipped his mind.

"It's time for us to go!" Tazuna yelled, reminding him that they're in a tight schedule. The sliver-haired man took one last-glanced at his student before leading Sakura and Sasuke to follow Tazuna.

He just hoped that it was the right decision.

"Hey Tsunami-san, where's everybody?" Naruto asked as she walked into the living room. The young mother looked up from her stitching and was taken back to see her standing there. The blonde shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the wall as she waited for the woman's response.

"Oh, your sensei said that you should rest…"

The young woman didn't even finish her sentence when Naruto ran up the stairs to get change. She listened in befuddlement as the young girl rant about idiot senseis and teammates that should think before they do anything. It wasn't long before the young girl was in the living room in her changed attire.

"Thank you for watching over me, Tsunami-san!" The blue-eyed girl said, grinning at her. "I'll be going to my idiot sensei that didn't even bother to leave me a note or wake me up to tell me this!"

Naruto frowned and closed her eyes. There was something wrong…she could feel it in the air and in her gut. She had always trusted her instincts and this was no different. It also didn't help that she could also sense a foreign chakra coming this way. Something tells her that it might be best if she stays with them and watch over them.

It will be in her conscious if these two innocent people get hurt and Naruto already felt enough guilt to last her lifetime. Should she stay and guard them or does she go after her teammates? Logic says that she should stay and protect them. After all, it was only reasonable but another part of her wanted to go and be with her teammates.

Looking at the two them, Naruto made her decision.

_I just hope that sensei and the others will be all right without me._

* * *

Kakashi sneezed and grunted. Was he getting cold because of the climate? No, the most likely thing was that someone was thinking about him. Probably Naruto if she had woken up. The young girl wouldn't like being left in the house but he had done it for her own good.

He glanced at Sasuke, who seemed to be very focus but he can tell that the boy was concern. It had been very easy for him to see that the boy was very close to Naruto. If he didn't even know better than the boy may have a crush on the girl. It would be amusing to see the boy trying to win Naruto's heart.

The blonde was utterly clueless about boys or…so the Hokage had told him.

He shook his head and looked at the bridge. He froze at the sight in front of him and started to mentally curse in his mind. The labourers who had been working side by side with Tazuna were all sprawled out on the structure they were working so hard to complete.

"Wh-What's this?" Tazuna yelled as he run over to the fallen labourers. His face was scrunched in shock as he stared at the scene in front of him and Kakashi had a feeling of what had happened.

They stood there as the old man cradled the one of the fallen labourer's head against his chest. The man was barely conscious, his face was bruised and his lips were bloodied, which made Sakura to gulp at the sight of blood. Sasuke kept a cool façade but Kakashi can tell that it had shaken him.

"What happened?" Tazuna asked the barely conscious man.

"A monster…" The man wheezed.

_Can it be…?_ Kakashi thought, looking at the area around them for any clues of what might have happened. He had a suspicion about what might have happened. No, he knew what of had happened but he wanted to be certain that it was true.

He could feel the mist becoming thicker and it dawned to him that Zabuza and his helper might be here. "Here they come!" he alerted his two students. Slowly, he reached for kunai in his bag and watched approvingly as the other two did the same thing.

Quickly, he put his hands into a hand-sign and pursed his lips as the mist started to thicken unnaturally.

"Kakashi-sensei, this is…this is the Kirigakure no Jutsu right?!" Sakura asked, looking at the bridge with fear and worry. The pink-haired girl didn't forget about what had happened.

"Long time no see Kakashi!" A voice chuckled from within the newly formed fogbank.

"Yeah and we haven't missed you, no-eyebrow freak!" A familiar voice said.

Kakshi and the other whirled around, surprise to see a familiar blonde smiling at them. "Well that's something boss would say." The bunshin said. "She would have also said that you're a damn idiot to come back here again and that you've no guts."

The man spared the bunshin a dismaying and slightly confused glance. "What?"

"Must I repeat myself!" The bunshin cried in distress. "You're an idiot to come back here! In fact, you're an ugly moron to work for an evil man like Gato. Honestly, why work for a man that has a name that means cake? Makes it seems like you got no honour in you!"

Kakashi put his head in his hands and groaned while Sakura looked at the bunshin in disbelief. "How the hell can she act like this at a time like this?" the pink-haired girl asked Sasuke. "Out of all us, I would have thought that Naruto would at least have some sense."

"Hn…I don't know what goes through her mind."

"But anyways, I should disappear now!" The bunshin said, setting her hands into a seal. "I've done my job so I should go and report to the boss before she blows a fuse."

Kakashi's hand latched onto her arm, preventing the bunshin from dismissing herself.

"Wait," he ordered lowly. "Not yet. Gather more information before dispelling, so that the original will have a better idea of what to expect." The Naruto's bunshin slowly nodded and sat back into a ready stance.

A ring of Zabuza's water clones appeared and ensnared the group, each shouldering a sword.

"Looks like you've been expecting us," one of the clones sneered. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's alright, you're forgiven, eyebrow freak!" Naruto's bunshin said pleasantly. "Thanks to you, boss and the others were able to have a tea party without any interruption, isn't that right, Sasuke?"

The boy smirked at the clone before running towards the horde of mizu bunshin. Kakashi glanced at the bunshin, who stood there in boredom as she watched the boy destroy the bunshin with slashes of metal. It was a surprise to see that Naruto had been smart to put a bunshin here.

He had expected her to come here but she had exceeded his expectation.

"I would give that a 6 out of 10." The bunshin commented. "If he was less flashy then maybe he would get a 7, but he wouldn't be the teme without being flashy."

Another chuckle emanated from the mist. Standing behind the Konoha shinobi was Momochi Zabuza and his young helper.

* * *

Naruto paced back and forth as she waited to hear news from her kage bunshin. She had decided to send them to inspect the area to see if there was any clue about who might be attacking them. Her eyes flinched as an image flashed through her mind.

She closed her eyes and took the time to look at the tree marks that her clone had seen. At a glance, they seemed to be an ordinary marks but at a closer inspection, it appeared to her that it was a weapon's mark. From the length of the slashes, the blonde deducted that it was a sword mark.

_She_ used to be so enthusiastic about weapons, going to the point about describing the differences between each weapon. It used to be _her_ dream to have a sword but of course that never happened. _She_ just had to save her from them. She couldn't have save her own life…no, she just had to be so goddamned noble.

Another image flashed through her mind but this time, it was an image of a boar that had been sliced up. She tilted her head and frowned. It seemed that the boar had the same marks on it and by the length and width of the slashes, it seemed that the same sword had slashed it.

She shook her head and tried to rack her head as she remembered how her clone had looked down to the ground. The footsteps were distinctive in the soft soil, thank goodness. From the depth, length, and width of the indentations, she could tell that one was of average height and build. The second set of tracks spoke of a man that was slightly larger than the first. This wasn't good in anyway.

"I could have been a doctor like the old bat had suggested but no, I had to decide to become a shinobi." Naruto whined as she ran towards one of the trees. "I swear, if it wasn't for the payment and for that damned promise then I wouldn't have become a shinobi. It just has to much work."

She leaned against the tree and scanned the area for her target. It wasn't that hard to spot them. For being killers, they sure were loud. Honestly, her grandmother could hear them because of the racket they made. She narrowed her eyes at the two men and motioned for her bunshin to be positioned into ambush.

Her theory about their appearance was right but she hadn't expected that the two of them would be carrying a sword. It just made her original plan to be wrong but that's all right. She will just go to plan B. Plan B will be just charge right in.

An idiotic idea but hey, she wasn't that smart.

"What is your business here?" Her clone demanded, causing Naruto to slap herself on the forehead.

"I just had to have an impulsive clone?" Naruto muttered, glaring at her clone. At least the clone hadn't used the bratty tone, because if she did then Naruto would have thrown her shoe at her.

"Our business?" One of the men parroted. "Well after we kill you, we'll kill Tazuna's family, mop up of what's left of Zabuza and Kakashi and collect their bounties and be on our merry way."

Naruto clenched her hands at this and it was taking all her will-power not to punch the tree. She'll be happy to murder them because they're just assholes. "You're an asshole." Her clone said dismissively. "And a loser, I doubt that you even have honour! Through, I wonder…how can you be sure that your friend wouldn't betray you?"

"We have been together for such a long time."

"Hmm but I heard that there's a lot of money being offered." Naruto's clone said off-handily. "I mean if it's me, I would kill you just to get all that money…after all, it's a lot of money, are you sure that he won't betray you?"

"Of course not!"

The blond clone flickered her eyes at the large man and rubbed her chin while the real Naruto stared at him. There was hesitance in the man's eyes and the blonde was certain that her theory was correct. There's no real honour between them.

"It seems like your friend seems to have the same thoughts as me!" Her clone said cheerfully.

"Tell the bitch that she's wrong!" The man spat to his friend.

The friend hesitated but it's all that was needed for the man to start to argue with his friend. Slowly, Naruto motioned for the rest of her clones to attack them while she, herself, watches them to analyse their attacks.

"I have been there for you…"

"Well, she raised an interesting point about the money!"

"You honestly were thinking of…"

"Of course not but still…"

The blonde leaned against the wall and frowned in disappointment as her clones kicked them in the head. Maybe, she shouldn't have gotten to argue about money but then again, she wouldn't have her amusement of hearing them argue. Besides, it was just too troublesome to…

"I'm starting to think like Shikamaru!" Naruto whispered in horror. "I got to spend less time with him."

The blonde sighed and decided that it would be a good idea to check up on Inari and his mother before heading to the bridge. It'll be best if she knew if they're safe before going to them or maybe, she could create a couple of clones to be with them?

She rubbed her chin and nodded her head. A couple of clones should be with them in case of attacks and fortunately for her, her clones have some aspects of her personality.

They will be able to use their heads to protect them while she goes to the bridge.

* * *

Meanwhile on said bridge Kakashi was busy handling Zabuza again while Sakura guarded Tazuna and Sasuke was currently facing Haku in what seems to be a dome of mirrors. Naruto's clone had dispelled a while back when a kunai had hit it in the stomach.

Sasuke didn't want to admit this to himself but he needed help and the only one that he knows that can help him was Naruto. As much as he wants to deny it, the blonde was very capable when she puts her mind into it. However, she can be quite stupid at the same time.

She could be quite annoying as well.

After a few deep breaths, Haku seemed ready to begin their dance anew, before a loud voice broke through to the two young shinobi combating each other.

"It's so nice to see that you're getting the crap beaten out of you." The voice said sarcastically. "I wonder do you want me to help you? Or are you going to be a big baby and say that a real man doesn't need any help!"

"I don't need your help!" He yelled.

"Sure and my mother is the queen of the fairies." Naruto said sarcastically. "And you aren't a revenge ridden boy…wait a second, you are! So that means you need my help!"

"I don't need your damn help!"

"Sure and my grandmother is the Hokage." Naruto said mockingly. "Now, Goukakyu to the east and don't be lazy!"

He frowned and racked his brains to see if there was any meaning to it. He shook his head as he realized what the blonde was planning to do. Sasuke formed the hand-seals and aimed his mouth at the top mirror, focusing as much chakra into his chest as he dared. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A highly intense fireball surged from his lips, between his fingers.

"Fuuton: Daitoppa!"

A harsh gust of wind flew down onto the ice dome, swirling with the flames. Sasuke glanced at the blonde, who was now frowning in disappointment and he wondered why the girl was disappointed. She had been able to help him melt some of the mirrors.

"If I was the enemy, where's the most likely place I'll hide? If I'm not on the east then I'm least likely to be on the west." Naruto muttered as she walked over the mirrors.

She put her hands in the mirror and wrinkled her lips. From the memories of the clone, the boy was incredibly fast and appears to be smart. These mirrors weren't normal that much Naruto was certain. It was made of ice and the clone had given her an idea that it's a Kekkai Genkai but like any jutsu, there's a weakness.

Question is what's the weakness?

_Naruto, think if you're able to do this jutsu what will be it weakness?_ Naruto asked herself, wincing at the sight of her teammate getting stabbed by the senbon. It's needs incredible amounts of chakra-control that much can be certain but what is it obvious weakness? It looks inescapable but it isn't.

"Damn it! Naruto! I need some help here!" Sasuke yelled grudgingly. "I don't have enough chakra…"

Enough chakra…

Of course, the senbons and the dome of mirrors, they all require chakra-control and lots of chakra. She nodded her head and looked at her pain-ridden teammate, who was in a lot of pain.

"Sasuke, you need to wear him out!" Naruto yelled. "These mirrors require huge amounts of chakra and it won't be long before the guy is tired."

"Oh thank you, Captain Obvious but how I barely have enough chakra."

"Stop your whining and do as I said before I tell Ino and Sakura about your undying love for them."

He growled at her and Naruto rolled her eyes, deciding that it would be a good idea if she goes into the dome. Honestly, she gives him advice and he complains! What's with boys and complaining? She shook her head and made her way to the dome.

"Happy now that I'm here to help you!" Naruto whispered in his ear.

"You idiot!"

"Why you ungrateful brat!" Both had to dodge as a barrage of senbon came flying at them.

"I am sorry but it is time I end this." The helper began going from mirror to mirror making it hard for either to keep up, it was only until Sasuke saw another barrage of needles heading towards Naruto that he did something he never thought he would do, he pushed her out of the way and took the hit for her. Naruto looked up at Sasuke and saw he was riddled with needles and had a slight smile on his face.

"You idiot! Why did you do this? You know damned well that I can take care of myself!"

"Honestly, dope, I don't know why, my body sort of moved on it's on." Sasuke admitted. "I-I can't die here and I still need to kill my brother, Naruto and Naruto I want to tell you that I…" With that Sasuke stopped moving leaving a silent Naruto holding the last Uchiha.

Another friend had died on her.

Another friend had died to protect her and Sasuke had died the same death that _she _had died. She couldn't face anyone because of this. She could barely face _her_ best-friend older sister, who still blamed her for her death. How can she face the village? He didn't need to die for her.

"Your friend died like a true shinobi, protecting someone that was precious to him." It was the hunter-nin's voice that brought Naruto back to reality.

She wanted to kill him for what he did and she tried her hardest to fight against the red chakra. Memories of the Hokage telling her that revenge were never right answer. Memories of laughing with Sasuke and hiding behind _her_ when the matron came run through her mind. Now, the two of them were dead.

Dead…

_'He will pay dearly for what he did to him.'_ She thought as something inside her snapped and red chakra flowed around her body changing her once blue eyes to a blood red, her already elongated canines into full fangs, and her nails into claws.

"**I'll kill you for hurting my friend!"**

Haku was for once scared; this malevolent red chakra that surrounded the blonde girl was practically oozing killing intent.

_'Wh….what chakra is this?!'_

The red chakra seemed to coalesce into the shape of a fox's head above Naruto's body while looking at Haku.

_It's impossible for the chakra to change like this! And such an evil chakra…_

Haku watched, as the wounds inflicted on the blonde girl seemed to close on their own, steam rising off of them as they sealed shut.

_'The cuts on her hand… They are healing…what is this girl?'_

Naruto looked over her shoulder at Haku, her bloodthirstiness evident in her eyes as she glared at the mask wearing Nin.

* * *

Both Kakashi and Zabuza both felt the malevolent chakra that washed over the bridge.

"Is this Zabuza's doing?"

_'NO! That power! So foul...and evil...yet familiar... it can't be!'_ Kakashi's eyes widened at his realization.

_What's this chakra…there's something not right with it…is it Kakashi's? No, it's too strong to be him. _Zabuza clenched his sword in his hand tightly fearing an attack from all sides by whoever was emanating that powerful chakra.

"This is bad could it be that the seal have been broken?" Kakashi asked, looking concern at the notion. _It's all right! It hasn't completely broken! But the seal is weakening and the Kyuubi's chakra is bursting out._

"Listen up Zabuza, I'm a busy man and you're a busy man. We've both got a lot on our plates so let's stop screwing around and wrap this up? One big move, winner takes all?" Kakashi pulled out a small scroll and unravelled it smearing some blood from his earlier cut across the length of the scroll before rolling it back up and focusing chakra into it.

"An intriguing notion, what's left Kakashi? Show me what you've got!"

* * *

Meanwhile back in the dome Naruto turned to face Haku and her face became a snarl as she crouched slightly.

_'She's attacking! She's so bloodthirsty! Completely different from the girl I met yesterday!' _Haku threw several senbon needles at the charging Naruto who with a mere roar deflected them away from her.

Haku used this chance to move to another mirror, completely surprised at what he just saw.

"She deflected them...without even touching them!" Haku drew three senbon and charged towards Naruto who merely punched the ground and sprung to the side dodging the ice user's attack.

_'I've got to make it to the next mirror!'_ Before Haku could even try to make it Naruto had grabbed a hold of his arm squeezing with all her considerable might.

_'This is bad! I can't stand withstand her chakra anymore!'_ With a roar Naruto crushed Haku's arm making him lose focus for a moment which is all she needed to punch him in the face, sending him through one of his mirrors which made him break the justus making the other mirrors shatter as well. Naruto took off once she saw the hunter-nin get up charging towards him with the intent to finish him off. She would have succeeded too had the mist nin's mask not shattered revealing the boy she had met the previous day.

"…You're the girly boy from yesterday." Naruto features went back to normal as the fox's chakra dissipated from her body.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because, I don't have the heart to kill you and murdering you won't bring him back." Naruto said softly. "I'm pissed that you murdered him but killing you isn't going to change that besides, the worse punishment is being alive."

"What happened to all that power from before? You can't hope to kill me with that force you put behind that punch. Finish me off, Zabuza-sama has no use for a weak shinobi."

"Baka!" Naruto yelled, punching the boy in the face. "I don't know your reasons for being devoted to him but you shouldn't be that eager to give up your life for him! You need to live your life for yourself and not for some asshole like him! Honestly don't you have anyone else that precious to you beside him!"

"I was precious once. When I was little I lived with my parents in a snowy little village in Kiri. But when I got old enough something happened. Blood. My Blood."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"My father killed my mother and tried to kill me. Kiri has been plagued by a civil war of sorts, with the two sides being those with bloodline abilities or Kekkei Genkai and those without. After the war those of us with kekkei genkai were hunted down, and those of us who survived did so because we hid our abilities. I'm sure that boy I killed grew up knowing the pain I speak. We are special, we are powerful, but most of all we are feared. My father learned that my mother came from a clan that had a bloodline and before I even realized what happened, I had killed my father. Then it came to me, I had to accept it, which was the hardest thing."

"Accept what?"

"That I was alone in the world, shunned, unwanted. Didn't you tell me you wanted respect from your village? If someone, just one person not only did that but acknowledged you, even cared for you, wouldn't that one person become the most precious person in the whole world to you?"

"There's a person, who was like that to me." Naruto said reluctantly, smiling sadly at him. "She was my best-friend and we stuck together through thick and thin. She was the most precious person to me and I treated her like she was my world. I would have given her the earth and sun just to see her smile"

"What happened?"

"She died and I was left all alone of course." Naruto said sadly. "But…instead of giving up my life, I decide to live! Because, that's what she valued! She loved life and you should too!"

"Zabuza-sama adopted me, knowing who I was and what I was. The very thing people hated me for he didn't. In fact he cherished it, he wanted it! I...I was so happy. Naruto, please...take my life."

Kakashi flipped through handseals while still holding the scroll before slamming it down on the ground.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu! Doton: Tsuiga no jutsu!"

"That posturing will get you nowhere Kakashi. I have you completely in my spell!" A small sound alerted Zabuza as several ninja dogs erupted from the ground each biting him to hold him in place.

"When your eyes and ears fail you, you can always follow your nose. This jutsu is specifically made for tracking; it's why I went out of my way to bleed during our little bouts. My Nin pups have your scent, the fog is lifting and your future is clear. Your future is death."

Zabuza chuckled and said, "I've had enough of your bluffs Kakashi."

"Who is bluffing? You're going to die one way or another. You're willing to let Wave suffer to advance your own ambitions. That is not what a true shinobi does.

"Spare me the philosophy lesson, I'm fighting for my own ideals and I'm not about to stop." Kakashi flipped through three handseals before his right hand became covered in lightning chakra.

"Your future...is death."

* * *

"Why are you hesitating, Naruto? Please hurry up and kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you…there's no point of me killing you." Naruto said firmly. "There's a reason why he likes you and I'm certain that it isn't your Kekkai Genkai or your fighting abilities."

"Naruto, the day I met you in the forest I was thinking we were the same. Surely you can understand. I'm sorry that you have to have my blood in your hands." Haku said, causing the blonde to growl at him in frustration.

"You're being a idiot!" Naruto yelled. "I'm not going to kill you because of my hands being bloodied! It's stupid to throw your life away for someone like this. If I had a tool then I'll improve it, not discard it." She sighed and looked down at her hands. "But I can tell that you are very stubborn and none of my words is going to get through you!"

"No Naruto, you can't change my mind." Haku said sadly. "I hope...I hope you make your dream come true."

Naruto took several deep calm breaths and pulled out her kunai. She glanced at the smooth edges of the kunai and than to the broken-looking boy. The mere idea of her killing him made her feel sick to her stomach. He was someone that had a good heart, well; it seemed like it to her. But for his sake, she will sacrifice her morals.

She charged at Haku.

_You're going to be very strong one day._

Just before Naruto made it to Haku he sensed something was wrong with Zabuza and caught Naruto's hand.

The blonde tilted her head at him and watched blankly as the older teen flipped through the handseals and conjured a mirror and vanished.

"This isn't going to end up well." Naruto muttered as she tried to catch up with the older boy.

Kakashi charged towards Zabuza intent on thrusting his Raikiri through him to find that his hand was now through the young hunter-nin Haku.

"Zabuza-s..sama"

"Well Kakashi, you said my future was death but it seems you were wrong again."

Naruto could see figures in the mist and rushed towards them only to see Kakahsi's hand through Haku's chest. Her eyes widen in horror and she could feel tears building up from behind her eyes. Why was it that the good ones always die young?

Zabuza grabbed his sword and swung it towards Kakashi who shunshined away with Haku's body where he laid it down and closed his eyes.

"So it seems you were able to get away just because poor Haku was already dead."

Naruto wasn't a genius but she was observant when she wanted to be. There was no obvious clue that the man was pained by the death but there's a slight shaking in his arms. She knew from her personal experience that means he was sad and angry.

She was angry that he wasn't willing to admit it.

"Naruto! You're alive."

The blonde turned to see Sakura standing beside Tazuna. She could feel her throat becoming dry as she realizes what she had to tell her teammate. She bit her lips until it bled. This was going to break her teammates heart.

"Where's Sasuke?"

The blonde hesitated. "He's…dead, Sakura." Naruto answered dully. "He died…protecting me." She gulped. "That damned idiot had to go and sacrifice his life for me! What the hell was he thinking? He should have protect himself…I'm not someone he should sacrifice his life for." the blonde babbled.

Sakura didn't say anything instead she pulled her into a hug and for the first time, in her life, Naruto cried. She cried for the lost of her teammate. She cried for the lost of her best friend and the life that those two could have.

"…I didn't mean for him to do it!" Naruto sobbed.

"It's alright, Naruto." Sakura muttered as she tried to reel in her emotions. It feels strange for her to comfort Naruto. The blonde always comforted her or Sasuke, acting like they were family. Always smiling and making sarcastic comments that was best to describe Naruto's behaviour. Not once had she thought that Naruto would act like this.

This just goes to show that even the strongest people need to cry.

"…His body right over there, Sakura." Naruto commented as she rubbed her eyes dry of the tears. Her face broke into a huge smile but even the pink-haired girl could see that the smile was fake. It frightened her.

Sakura nodded hesitantly before going to Sasuke with Tazuna. Sakura felt his body and it felt so cold. Tazuna could see the girl was fighting to hold it in.

"It's okay to let it out, there are times when you just have to cry, don't hold it in for my sake."

Sakura was silent for a moment before she spoke.

"I used to always get perfect scores on my tests. One of these tests had a question. What is rule number 25 of shinobi conduct? And like always I simply answered it. "No matter what happens, a true shinobi must never...ever show their emotions! Th-the mission is the only priority. Carry that in your heart and never ever shed a tear."" Sakura broke down, tears of sadness dropping on Sasuke's face.

_'So this is what a shinobi is...how horrible it is...to make children go through that.'_ Tazuna thought as he watched the pink haired girl cry over her teammate.

Naruto's heart clenched and she could feel the tears building up but this time she suppressed it. It's her fault that her teammate, no, her friend was dead. Never again, will she tease him about his fangirls. Never again, will she argue with him about books. He had to be a hero and not save his own skin. That boy just had to be a nice guy to her and protect her.

She winced as the memories of the dispelled clones. She smiled in relief when she saw that her clones had been able to defeat the people that had attacked Inari and his mother. She had been so worried that they wouldn't be able to do it and that she had over calculated but, thank goodness she'd been right.

Zabuza couldn't understand it, Kakashi was batting him aside like he was a pest and try as he might to hit him he couldn't seem to land one blow on the copy nin. Before he even knew what was going on Kakashi had his hand on the back of Zabuza's neck and plunged two kunai into each of his major arm muscles.

"There now you can't use either arm."

A voice from the end of the bridge caught all their attention.

"Well, he's certainly made a fine mess of you. What a pity Zabuza!"

"Gato, what're you doing here? And why did you bring all of them**?**"

"Simple, there has been a slight change of plans, or of your plans anyways. You must have guessed I never did intend to pay you. It's such a hassle hiring skilled shinobi, so expensive and their village and friends tend to be upset when you kill them. Nuke-nin on the other hand, no one cares what happens to you when the job is done. When you ninja wear each other down, common thugs can finish the rest, it's a good business plan, cheap and effective. Hiring you was probably my worst mistake. You're no demon, a baby demon maybe."

"Kakashi it seems I am now unemployed, which means our differences are settled."

"Yeah, looks like it."

"There is still one more thing to do." Gato said smiling evilly at them and the blonde watched in horror as the short man kicked Haku's corpse.

_A man like him doesn't deserve to live!_ Naruto thought angrily, trying her hardest not to attack the man. Memories of the matron hitting her best-friend's corpse rushed in as she watch him continuous attack Haku's body. _He has no right to kick a deceased person! He should respect the dead!_

The blonde relaxed when she felt Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder.

"You need to calm down Naruto." He whispered quietly in her ear. "Loosing your temper right now isn't a good idea."

"He's disrespecting the dead!" Naruto whispered back harshly. "Haku gave his life and the man treats him like dirt. No." she said the last part loudly. Everyone stared at her but the blonde kept a calm face. "Zabuza treated Haku like he's shit even through Haku worshipped him!"

"Naruto, calm down!"

"So what? Haku's dead." Zabuza said calmly and the blonde gritted her teeth at him.

"He may be dead but he followed you since he been a kid." Naruto said angrily. "Don't tell me that all these years that you didn't come to care for him like he cared for you! The very least thing you could do was care for the fact that the midget is desecrating his corpse!"

"Brat, Haku and I were used, that's what happens to shinobi. I didn't value Haku for himself, but for the power his blood carried and what his talents could do for me. I apologize for nothing."

Naruto frowned and stated. "I don't believe you…I think that you cared for him like a father cared for his son because you spent so much time together. It's impossible for me not to believe that you care for him."

"Naruto, enough! Our quarrel is over, leave him alone."

"I'm not quarrelling with him!" Naruto said calmly. "I know that our quarrel is over, I just want to know why the hell he's denying his feelings!" her eyes turned icy cold. "He's dead because he cared for you. He sacrificed his own life for you because he gave a damn about you. Are you willing to deny the fact that even you have feelings? You raised him since he was young."

"Brat…"

Naruto smiled softly at the sight of a crying Zabuza. Finally, she could see that the man was letting out the emotions that he's truly feeling.

"Not...another word. Kid, what Haku did was not just for me. While he fought his heart broke over you...and your friends. That is the honest truth. He was too kind, too gentle. I'm glad girl my last battle was against you. You're right you know. We may be shinobi but in the end we're just simply human, with all the feelings involved and I have now lost everything. Girl, would you lend me your kunai?"

Naruto sniffled and tossed it to the missing-nin who had now chewed through the bandages covering his face and took off towards Gato and his men.

"What are you all waiting for? Kill him!" Zabuza flared his chakra, which like Naruto's seem to transform into a monstrous shape scaring all of the thugs.

"A...a demon!" Gato thought he was safe behind his men until he saw Zabuza slaughtering them all with just a kunai in his mouth taking swords, picks, and other weapons in his back. Gato could only watch in horror as Zabuza stabbed the kunai into his chest.

"W-Why won't you die? If you're in such a hurry to be with your little friend, go alone!"

"I have no intention of going to the same place as Haku. I'm taking you with me to Hell! Even a baby demon in life can grow up into a real demon in Hell!" Zabuza pulled the kunai out and in one swift motion cut off Gato's head staring the rest of the thugs in the face, his eyes hardened daring any of them to charge him.

The blonde clenched her hands into a fist as she watched Zabuza fell to the cold-hard ground. Was this a shinobi life? To see so much death? To be use as tools? The blue-eyed girl hated the mere idea of becoming a tool to be used and loath the idea of a person becoming so emotionless or denying his or her own emotion.

She doesn't know how she will act if she meets a guy like that.

Sakura continued sobbing over Sasuke's body which unseen to her had twitched.

"Sakura...your arm...is heavy." Sakura blinked once, then twice just to make sure it wasn't a dream. Sasuke really was alive.

"SASUKE! SASUKE!"

"Sakura...you're hurting me!"

"Oh I'm sorry!"

"I'm alright, how's Naruto? And the person behind the mask?"

A tired voice answered behind him.

"I'm fine! What the hell were you thinking idiot!" Sasuke tried to turn around but was scolded by Sakura, who told him that he's an idiot to try to move.

The black-haired boy was taken back when Naruto grabbed him and gave him a hug. He flushed deep red, which was ignored by the said-blonde, who was sighing in relief. He opened his mouth to say something but Naruto slapped him in the face, causing him to yelp in pain and Sakura to yell at her.

"What's that for?"

"For trying to get yourself killed, idiot!" Naruto yelled. "Did you know what the hell that you made me go through in the past few minutes? You never cared about your safety, always being reckless! When's the last time that you…"

"I made you worried." Sasuke said, smirking at her.

"Of course you did." The blonde screeched. "You're my teammate and friend, I would react the same way if it had been Hinata or Sakura."

"And I thought I was special."

"No, if you were special then I would have done more than slap you." The blonde spat. "Honestly, what the hell were you thinking when you did that stupid stunt? You could have gotten yourself killed! You know damn well beside Hinata why I don't like seeing people die."

The black-haired boy eyes soften and he reluctantly said. "…I'm sorry."

"Good, Sasuke-teme." The blonde grinned. "Honestly, I think that's the first time I heard the great Uchiha apologized! I guess that makes me special."

"AREN'T YOU TWO FORGETTING SOMETHING?! YOU JUST KILLED OUR MEAL TICKET! NOW THE ONLY WAY TO BREAK EVEN IS TO LOOT THE TOWN!"

A lone crossbow bolt landed in front of the group of thugs. Naruto and the others turned to see Inari and the villagers all armed ready to defend their home.

"STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! THIS IS OUR HOME! COME ONE STEP CLOSER AND YOU'LL DIE WHERE YOU STAND!"

The blonde was taken back to see Inari standing there along with the rest of the village. She racked her head and realized that maybe one of her clones had spoken some sense into him. Oh the wonder of clones.

"Inari!"

"A hero always arrives at the last second you know?"

Naruto smiled at this, happy to see that the boy had learned his lesson. She grinned and formed a familiar cross hand seal.

_'I can't manage anything solid with my chakra this low but a bluff should be enough to scare these guys off!'_

"Kage bunshin no jutsu! Kakashi-style!" over a hundred copies of Kakashi stood all armed with kunai and doing handseals.

"Now shall we?"

"NEVERMIND! RUN AWAY!" The thugs started running and jumping over each other to get off the bridge. They had all seen what Zabuza had done to them and he was **one **ninja, never mind the hundreds that were now on the bridge.

The bridge was safe now, and Gato was dead meaning Wave was now safe. Everyone including the ninjas that helped protect them could rest easy.

Naruto hoped the dynamitic of their team doesn't change.

* * *

It had been weeks since the Wave Incident as Naruto had called it her mind. Nothing had changed between her and the rest of the team, besides them getting a little bit closer. Through, Naruto swears that Sasuke had been acting even more strangely than usual. His face keeps turning red at the oddest of times.

Her and the rest of the team had just finished their last mission and Naruto decided that it was the perfect time for her to wander around the village. After the deaths of Haku and Zabuza, it became a habit of hers to do this. It helps her in dealing with their deaths and remembers what they did for her.

She gave a smile at the glaring adults, who flinched at her, and then continue, on her way with no destination in mind. Occasionally, she would stop walking and smell the flowers before continuing on with her walk.

"I wish there was something interesting to do." Naruto muttered as she kicked the rocks. "Kakashi-sensei doesn't really give us any more good missions ever since Wave."

She shook her head and stuffed her hands into her pocket, debating whether or not she should go back to her apartment. Hinata was busy with training and the same can be said for Sasuke. Shikamaru is probably with his team and eating. Sakura might be in the library or stalking Sasuke…likely the former then the latter.

No one knows where Sasuke trains except her.

The sounds of angered yells snapped her out of her troubled thoughts. Naruto pursed her lips and debated whether or not to go see what was happening or go back to her lonely apartment.

She chose the first option.

The blond haired girl quickly ran to the sight of the commotion and was surprised to see Konohamaru being hold up by a Suna genin, who wore make up on his face. Beside the Suna genin, was his female teammate who had a pissed expression on her face.

"I-I am sorry, I was messing around…" A familiar voice apologizes. Naruto looked around the empty street to find the familiar voice and was surprised to see Sakura, who was standing right beside her. Why hadn't she noticed her?

"What the hell happened Sakura? And why's Konohamaru being held up by some make-up boy?" Naruto asked, flickering her eyes wearily at the foreign shinobi.

"The kid called me ugly and I got so pissed that I wanted to hit him." Sakura explained flinching at the glare that Naruto is giving her.

The blonde sighed and pursed her lips at Konohamaru, who gave her a pleading look to save him from the make-up wearing boy. She rolled her eyes at him and said. "How many times have I told you to think before you say anything?"

"A hundred times but honestly, you can't deny that she's ugly!" Konohamaru yelled.

"And I can't deny that you're an idiot to call a girl ugly." Naruto retorted. "You know extremely well that you shouldn't call a female ugly! I warned you so many times that you shouldn't say your thoughts out loud!"

"Well, she deserved it!"

"Why?"

Konohamaru struggled to answer the question and the blonde remembered the boy was still being hold by the older boy. She glanced at Sakura, who blushed and stammered as she explained to her about what happened. By the end of it, the blonde laughed before shaking her head at them. Honestly, that is truly Konohamaru and Sakura thing to do.

"Well, at least Konohamaru have a good reason to call you that." Naruto said, after she was done laughing.

"Uh, Naruto-nee-chan are you done laughing?" Konohamaru asked sweetly.

"Yes."

"Good because can you get me out of here!" Konohamaru yelled, kicking and punching the older genin's body.

The blond-haired girl put her hands in her hips and said calmly. "And why the hell should I do that? This might be a good lesson for you on not to insult a girl!"

"Come on, I'm your friend!"

"Friend or not, you need to learn your lesson."

He pouted at her and the blonde sighed. The boy was very evil and he knew it. Konohamaru knew that she was weak against his puppy dog eyes. How the hell was Iruka immune to it? Better yet, how's the Hokage immune to it? She could barely stand five seconds before saying yes.

The blue-eyed girl smiled at the Suna genin and said. "Forgive my teammate and friend for what they done to you." She chuckled. "You aren't so petty as to hold a grudge over them for something as small as this? So please let him go."

"And why should I?" The make-up wearing genin asked.

"It's the right thing to do." Naruto said blandly. "And he hasn't done anything wrong by bumping into you and I'm sure that he'll apologize to you."

"Because it is the right thing to do." Naruto pointed out dryly.

He looked at her thoughtfully. The blond haired girl shuddered in displeasure when she saw how his eyes were raking her body as if she were a prize to be won. She clenched her hand into a fist, thinking to herself that punching him won't be a crime.

"Alright but only if you agree to go out on a date with me."

"The day I go out with you, is the day I wear a dress and follow Sasuke around like a lost puppy." She said sweetly. "If you don't know that means then I'll spell it out to you. That's means never in your life."

"Why not?"

"You wear more make-up than my own teammate."

"It is war paint, not make up!" He yelled.

Naruto gave him an innocent look and innocently asked, "Are you sure? Because from where I am standing that does look like make up."

He growled at her words and she simply gave him an impassive look.

"Why you little…"

"I always tell the truth and from my point of view that's make-up." Naruto said sweetly. "Also, the boy you're holding is the Hokage's grandson and I'm sure you're smart enough to know where is this heading to if you don't drop him."

Kankuro snorted in disbelief and he pointed out, "If he is your Hokage's grandson then why did she attack him?"

"How the hell am I suppose to know? My teammate can be impulsive at times."

Naruto retorted. "But I know she won't repeat the same mistake, right Sakura."

"R-Right." Sakura stuttered.

"Besides, do you really want to take the chance and have the Hokage's wrath?" Naruto continued. He reluctantly shook his head and let the little boy down, who quickly ran towards his older sister figure but not before sticking his tongue out to him.

"Now that wasn't that h-" Naruto trailed off and Sakura wondered why. She looked at the direction that the blonde was looking and saw a redhead boy standing upside down on a tree branch. Beside him was Sasuke.

"G…Gaara." He practically whimpered.

"Oh and now you decide to show up!" Naruto retorted to her teammate, ignoring the fact that the make-up wearing boy was whimpering at the sight of his teammate.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and answered, "Long enough to see your diplomatic skills."

"And how do I rank?"

The raven-haired teen sighed and answered reluctantly, "A six."

"And here I thought that you would rank me a ten." Naruto said sarcastically.

"You insulted him!" Sasuke pointed out. "How would that rank a ten?"

"It's creative." She retorted. "I only tell the truth and insults is one of them besides, he made it seem like I'm a prize to be won and I'm no prize. Tell me, won't you do the same thing if it's your fangirls?"

He didn't answer.

"I thought so." Naruto said smugly.

"Kankuro," the redhead said. "You nearly started a war between our two nations because some kid bumped into you." Naruto frowned in disagreement with him. "You truly an embarrassment to our village."

"You know that's a very harsh thing to say to your teammate." Naruto retorted, looking the redhead straight in the eyes. Her breath caught when she saw just how emotionless those eyes were. He's one of those people. Great…she's smart to open her mouth.

"I don't see how this concerns you."

The blonde twitched at this comment and any idea of ending the conversation was over. "You basically insulted your teammate, that's not something I can forgive." She said calmly. "I'll admit that he has done something stupid but it gives you no right to call him an embarrassment to your village."

He stared at her and the blonde rolled her eyes at him.

"Keep staring at me and I get wrong ideas." The blonde retorted. "Now, look Gaara-san, you shouldn't be belittling your teammate!"

Everyone stared at her in shock but Naruto ignore them instead she continued to stare at him. Her blue eyes didn't flinch one bit as he glared at her instead, she looked calmly at him, waiting for a response to her comment. It was strange for her to see such emotionless eyes.

"I don't know you but I can tell that you don't treat them well and for your sake, you should treat them better." Naruto spoke calmly. "You'll never know when you need them."

"And what right do you have to say?" He asked, ignoring the gaping looks from his teammate.

"None." She admitted. "But you shouldn't treat them like this."

He nodded his head at her but the blonde doubt that her words got to his head. The boy stared at her for several minutes but not with the emotion that his teammate had shown or the ones that the fan boys show. He simply stared at her with curiosity.

She didn't know if that's good or not.

"Why do you think that we came to Leaf village?" the question was directed towards Kankuro and Temari.

"Listen Gaara, they started it…" Kankuro began a rather childish explanation.

"Why isn't that childish of you to say." Naruto muttered under her breath. Sakura quietly giggled at her teammate's words.

"Shut up or I'll kill you," Gaara said in a flat, conversational tone. Yet there was no doubt that he would really do it. Kankuro immediately fell silent.

Naruto eyes widen at his words and said without even thinking, "Isn't that a little bit harsh for you to say?"

He arched his invisible eyebrows at her and said, "No."

"Really then what is harsh for you to say?" Naruto asked. Everyone gawked at her but none more so then Sasuke and Sakura.

"Naruto, I think you said enough." Sakura whispered to her teammate.

The blond haired girl stubbornly shook her head at him and coldly said, "He just threatened to kill his teammate how the hell am I suppose to keep my mouth shut?"

"Naruto!" Sakura whispered harshly into her ear but the blonde ignored her.

"You're different." Gaara stated and the blonde grinned at him, causing him to look at her with surprise.

"I've been told that I'm different."

Kankuro and Temari stared at the blue-eyed girl in shock, not once in their life had they seen someone standing up to their little brother. It just wasn't right and this small girl was going to get herself killed if she keeps going like this.

"Ok, I am sorry…" Kankuro said, drawing their attention back to him. For once he will shallow his fear of his brother and put his attention back on him then on the girl.

"I am also sorry…really sorry," Temari added, her voice trembling in fear. Gaara seemed to ignore her completely. He stared at Naruto for a moment and then jumped down from the branch, landing between Temari and Kankuro.

"Sorry to you guys." Gaara said to them.

Naruto arched her eyebrows at him and asked, "Are you truly sorry? In my eyes that sounds like you're just saying it for the sake of saying it."

He glared at her and the blonde rolled her eyes and said. "You know I'm not scared of that glares of yours."

"What's your name?" Gaara asked.

Naruto chuckled at him and answered. "I don't give my names to strangers, so if you want my name you better make me want to say it or at least figure it out because no way in hell am I telling you my name."

He arched his eyebrows at her and she simply shrugged her shoulders at him as her response. Something about him made her feel dizzy and the old man words about her other half kept reminding her. He sighed and she grinned.

"Let's go," he said. The Suna trio turned to leave. Naruto exhaled in relief and calmness. He scared the crap out of her and not for the reasons for what people think.

She doesn't like him, one bit.

* * *

**A/N: I am sorry that I haven't updated for a long time but I won't be able to do any updates for a while because of school. I hope that you like the last bit with Naruto and Gaara and I'll assure you that there will be more scenes with the two of them.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Author Note: I would like to thank everyone that reviewed and added this to their favourites and follows.**

* * *

"You seem to be in a bad mood lately, Naruto-chan." Hinata commented lightly as she took a small sip of her drink. "Is something the matter?"

Naruto blinked her eyes and looked down at her drink before giving an apologetic smile to Hinata. It was suppose to be there time to catch up but of course, her mind started to wander around the redhead boy. She bit her lips and a small sigh escape her lips when she saw the concern look in her friend's face.

"Its silly, Hinata-chan." Naruto said quietly, twirling her straw in circles in her drink.

"Mind telling me, what is it?" Hinata asked. "I think it will make you feel better if you tell me."

The blonde curled her lips and nodded. "A few days ago, Konohamaru got into trouble with a bunch of genin from Suna." She frowned. "It's nothing serious but…I met the genin leader of the team and to be honest, he frightened me." She confessed. "I haven't felt that frightened since _her_ death."

Hinata blinked her eyes and her eyes soften at her friend. "It's been years since you lost Cho's death hasn't it?" she asked quietly and the blonde nodded. "And you have been having those nightmares again, haven't you."

"It's my fault that she died, Hinata-chan." Naruto said quietly. "You weren't there when she died and her sister and I both know that it's my fault that she died."

"You were just a little kid, Naruto."

The blue-eyed girl smiled bitterly at the reminder. "It doesn't matter because if I hadn't been so stubborn then she would haven't been dead." She smiled somberly. "You know, I don't blame _her_ for hating me."

"It's completely irrational for her to hate you." The Hyuga heiress said calmly. "None of you have seen it coming, how would you know that it was going to be the consequence!"

The blonde nodded her head and muttered. "Perhaps, you're right but it still doesn't change a thing."

"Naruto-chan…"

"Anyways, that boy frightened me." Naruto said, changing the subject. "His eyes were so void, so empty that it frightened me and the way he treated his teammates…it's just so cold…I just don't like it…it reminds me of…."

Hinata took a small sip of her soda and tapped her finger while the blonde took her time to reel in her emotions.

"It just reminded me of the year after her death, Hinata-chan." She admitted. "I was just so empty for the longest time and I wasn't myself, if it hadn't been for you and Sasuke then I might have lost myself." She smiled. "I miss those days when it was just me, you and Sasuke."

"Speaking of Sasuke, what's going on between the two of you?" Hinata asked quietly, smiling at her friend. "Does he still seem 'sick' to you?"

The blonde narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her friend before nodding. "Yes, I don't get it." She growled. "Ever since we got back from the mission in Nami no Kuni, he has been acting so damn weird, turning red at the oddest of times."

The Hyuga heiress shook her head at her friend in amusement, causing Naruto to raise her eyebrows at her friend. Honestly, why was everyone doing this to her? Is there something that they know that she doesn't know? She rubbed her chin as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her friend. He shouldn't be acting this strange.

She shook her head and rubbed her hands before closing her eyes. An image of the redhead boy's cold eyes made her shiver and she gulped. Not once in her life had she seen such icy eyes. His stare just reminded her of a snake and how she's the prey while he's a predator. Naruto didn't like the idea of being a prey, again. It just reminds her of the bad times.

"…Have you ever thought that maybe he likes you?"

The blonde blinked her eyes at Hinata. "Sasuke will never like me like that." she said calmly. "And even if he did then I won't able to return his feelings because, it will be just too awkward for us."

"Sasuke likes you in that way, Naruto-chan." Hinata said, smiling at her. "He has always like you."

"The boy just sees me as his friend." Naruto retorted. "I'm his shield against his fangirls…besides, I'm the only one that has a clue on how he feels."

The blue-haired girl nodded and lightly commented. "The two of you have always been close."

Playing with her straw, Naruto remembered the good times that the three of them used to have. Those had been the best times of her life. At the time, there had been no worries and Sasuke wasn't a revenge-ridden boy. He had been just another normal boy, who was also too arrogant to her taste.

"But Naruto, answer me do you have feelings for Sasuke-san in that way?" Hinata asked. "The two of you are close…so it is alright if you do have feelings for him."

The blonde rubbed her chin and said. "No, I don't like Sasuke in that way. He had always been my best-friend so I can't imagine dating him…in fact I can't imagine falling in love, anyways." She confessed. "No matter how hard I try, Hinata-chan, I can't picture myself being like that or being in a relationship. I will just fail in that department."

"You may not but I can." Hinata said truthfully. The blonde arched her eyebrows at the girl, causing the blue-haired girl to blush in embarrassment. "I-I m-mean, I think you're the type that most people generally like besides…I know that you will put your all into making a relationship work."

"Maybe but still…I can't help but wonder, who on this world will like me in that way." The blonde mused, smiling brightly at her friend. "I mean I'm sarcastic as hell and I'm not the type of person that sits down and waits ideally for a boy to come." Naruto shuddered at the image. "Seriously, I can't imagine a guy that will like me for that."

Hinata smiled sadly at her friend's words. _There is a guy that will like you for that but only if you just really open up to them._ The blue-haired girl thought as she watch her friend pulls out her wallet.

If only she had enough courage to inform her friend of this.

Neither of them notices a pair of teal-colored eyes watching them.

* * *

Gaara had no idea what was it about the blond-haired girl that interested him. There was nothing remarkable about her in terms of strength. She appears to be in average strength, not the usual strong people that curious him. Her physical appearance was pretty (or hot in Kankuro's words) but he wasn't the type that cares about the physical appearance.

It must be the way that she had talked back to him. Not once had someone ever talked to him in that way. Not once. Yet, this girl had stood her ground and argued, instead of cowering in fear. It was definitely a strange for him but one that excites him.

It was because of this strange fixation of her that he had gone as far as stalking her (well, observing in his mind). So far, he had learned a lot of things about his fixation. Sadly, it was little things and only one big thing. The girl loves ramen, bit her lips when she thinks too much and loved the color orange. He didn't know anything that can crush her.

"Hinata-chan is seriously delusional to think that a guy will like me for me." The blond-haired girl said, bitterly as she kicked a can to the wall. "I don't least act in a way that girls should act…honestly I act like an idiot." She muttered. "I wonder if my parents are like me in that way."

Gaara arched his non-visible eyebrows and looked at the blond-haired girl with newfound interest. The small frown and the brokenness in her eyes was strange…it was filled with sadness; he had never seen someone look like that before.

"I don't even know why I even care." The blonde said in frustration. "For all I know, my parents might have abandoned me like the adults had said or maybe they are really dead!" she growled. "Damn it! Why am I thinking about them only now? Why do I give a damn if they are alive? If they were dead then fine! I don't need them! I have been doing well all my life!"

Gaara kept quiet at this and a small part of him was curious to know more about her past. Nothing he had learned about her satisfied his curiosity. No, not curiosity, she was his obsession. He wanted to know why his mother was so restless when he was near her.

"And her questioning me about that stupid Suna boy!" Naruto yelled. "Why did I have to tell her my fears of him? Oh right she's my best-friend and I can't keep a secret from her!"

The redhead boy blinked his eyes while the blonde started to bounce in her spot. "Good thing, I didn't tell her that I also felt that there was something about him that reminded him of me." She said, looking at the clear blue sky with sorrow. "I wonder if I hadn't had Hinata or Sasuke if I had been like him…"

The red-haired boy blinked his eyes at this; unsure about whether he should kill the girl for insulting him. On one hand, she insulted him, in the other hand; he made a promise to his father that he won't kill anyone since it will bring suspicion to them. He hated that he had to control his urges but unfortunately, an order is an order.

"…But I doubt that I would have become like this if I didn't have you, Cho." The blonde said and for a moment Gaara thought that she was staring at him. "Between you and me, you were the one that was meant for something more. People loved you more than me yet, you treated me better than anyone."

The blonde's body started to shake and Gaara could see tears pouring out of her eyes. It was strange for him to see someone crying. He had never seen someone cry before.

"If I hadn't been weak than maybe, you would be alive." The blonde said bitterly. "I'm living my life the way you think life should be live, but I can't bring myself to give a cheerful smile again."

Gaara arched his non-visible eyebrows at the girl, who was too busy staring at the sky to notice him. The sadness and pain in her eyes confounded him. A few days ago, she had the courage to talk back to him but now it doesn't seem like it. He stood there and watches awkwardly as the blonde cried. Should he kill her? It will stop her crying that's for certain.

The blonde started laughing, surprising Gaara. He had never thought that the girl would laugh. She looked ready to cry yet, she laughs instead and this puzzles him greatly. From what he seen, people cry when they're sad. They don't laugh. So why was this girl laughing? Yes, this confuses him.

"But I'll give a real, cheerful smile one day because being sad is not something that you enjoy." The blonde said, looking up at the sky. "It may not be today but it will happen…I will do it as naturally as your sister can."

Gaara blinked his eyes at her words and furrowed his non-visible eyebrows at this. Why was it important for her to give a real smile? What were these emotions that she wants to display? Why display emotions anyway. This girl truly baffles him greatly.

He gave a cruel smile as he watch the girl. He couldn't wait to kill the girl; maybe she can truly prove his existence. He licks his lips and ignored his mother's tempting whispers.

Soon, he will kill the girl.

* * *

"Naruto is late."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed at her crush response and scanned the area, searching for any clues that their teammate will arrive soon. She stole a glance at Sasuke and shook her head sadly. No matter how much she wants to believe that the Uchiha's heir will date her, she knows it won't happen. He was just way into Naruto.

She smiled bitterly. Of course, he has a crush on Naruto. She's strong, funny and kind but so very loud and at times an idiot. However, two of them have known each other for a long time. For the longest time, Sakura envied Naruto. She was everything that she wasn't. Confident and headstrong that's the best way to describe her. Why does Naruto seem to have all the luck? Even, Sasuke likes her.

The pink-haired girl shook her head and curled her hands into a fist. Naruto doesn't like Sasuke in that way, she even said so herself. Her teammate will never lie about something like that! But…a small part of her doubts it. Who wouldn't like Sasuke? Yet, Naruto doesn't act like she has a crush on him. If anything, she just seems like a girl that's clueless about her friend's feelings.

"Sasuke-kun, do you think that Naruto is sick?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Hn, we shouldn't be concern about it." He replied. "You know, pretty well that Naruto doesn't get sick."

"But it isn't like her to be late."

"Knowing her, she might have slept in again." He muttered. "Seriously, if she read those books again, I might need to burn them!"

"Burn those books and I'll personally make your life a living hell!" A voice said darkly. "You know damn well that if you burn those books that I will personally find ways to ruin your life and you know that I'm good at that."

The two of them twirled around. Sakura immediately squeak while Sasuke just roll his eyes. Their blond-haired teammate was standing under the tree; in her hands were sweets. Her eyes were lit in merriment and her hair was for once in a braid.

"Sorry, I'm late but I had to buy some sweets." She said happily, waving her bags of sweets to them. "There was a special sale for them…and well, who can't resist a great bargain?"

"You, apparently." He muttered. "What's the deal with you and bargain?"

The blonde put her hands on her hips and glared at her teammate. "You know damn well that I'm particularly stingy with money." She said angrily. "Unlike you, I have to save my money!"

"Hn."

The blonde gave him a dark look and stomp her foot. Sasuke smirked at this, which went unnoticed by Naruto but was noticed by Sakura. The pink-haired girl gulps at the sight and glance at her teammate, who was muttering about ungrateful male teammate. Why couldn't Sasuke direct those smirks at her? Or give a real smile like he does with Naruto?

It was just unfair.

"Honestly, you should smile Sasuke!" Naruto commented as she pinched Sasuke's cheeks. "Keep frowning and you will look like the Hokage and we don't want to ruin your fabulous young face!"

Sakura shook her head at the pair of them and smiled at the pair of them. Naruto peeped at her and gave her thumbs up as well as a bright smile. Why oh why, can't Sasuke be a little bit concern like Naruto? The pink-haired girl shook her head and gave a weak smile, causing the blonde to cast a worried glance at her.

"Sakura, are you all right?" she asked.

The pink-haired girl shook her head and answered. "I'm fine."

"Bullshit." Naruto said calmly. "Something is bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me!" Sakura squeaked.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and said. "Sakura, tell me what's bothering you! You know that I'm willing to help you with any issue that you have!"

The pink-haired girl smiled and said. "There's nothing wrong with me, Naruto."

The blonde looked at her and sighed. The one good thing about her teammate, in Sakura's opinion, was that she doesn't push you for information. Through, the girl can act like a mother hen at times. Like last week, when she got injured. Naruto had immediately fussed over her, insisting that she goes to the hospital. The best example yet, was what she did to Sasuke after the battle.

Naruto had practically made Sasuke stay in bed, not listening to him when he says that he's fine. She kept a close-eye on him, shouting at him when he tries to stand up. She also kept scolding him for being rash. That had been the first time Sakura saw Sasuke being scolded or Naruto look so worried. During that whole stay, she thought that something brewed between them. Looking back at it now, she knows that Naruto cares about her teammates so much.

"But if there is anything wrong, you know that you can come to me right?" Naruto asked, gazing at her with concern. "I'm your teammate and friend, I'll do anything to help you."

Sakura nodded and softly said. "I know."

"Good morning, guys!" Kakashi said, smiling them. "I'm sorry that I'm late but I got lost in the road of life."

Naruto rolled her eyes and said to her teammates. "Who's in favor of taking sensei to rehab?" The other two members of Team Seven nodded their heads and Naruto continued. "You see sensei, me and the other have come in agreement that your excuses…are truly silly and idiotic." She sighed. "Honestly, I got lost in the road of life! That had to be the worst lie ever!"

Kakashi eye-smiled at his students and said. "For all you know that may be true."

The blonde arched her eyebrows. "The day that is true is the day, I will wear a frilly pink dress." She said. "And that isn't going to happen!"

"Well, we can always force you to wear a pink frilly dress." Kakashi said lightly. "I know that all the boys will be happy to see you in a dress."

"Do it and I will make sure that you will never be able to use the part that makes you a man." Naruto said sweetly. "I'll have no problem burning those porn books of yours!"

Kakashi paled at this threat, causing the blonde to chuckle and even Sasuke to smirk. Sakura grinned. In her opinion, their team was the best one out of all the rookie teams.

"Oh by the way, this may be sudden but I have decided to enter you guys into the Chunin Exams." Kakashi announced. "And if you guys wish to sign up than you should be in room 301 by 4pm tomorrow."

"Did he just say that he had entered us into the chunin exams?" Naruto asked Sakura.

" Yes."

Naruto nodded her head and said to her sensei. "I respect you, sensei but you have officially became a idiot!"

"That hurts, Naruto-chan!"

"You should have told us in the god-damned beginning!" The blonde yelled. "Why did you decide to tell us of now of all times? Honestly, all those porn books made you loose common sense."

"Whoever said that sensei ever had common sense in the beginning?" Sakura asked.

The blonde tilted her head and answered thoughtfully. "Well, he's insane and a pervert so I guess we can't rule out the idea that he didn't have any common sense."

Kakashi shook his head at their comments. Sasuke rolled his eyes at them while the two girls grin. This was her team and there was nothing Sakura will replace in their team. Not their crazy, perverted sensei or her teammates, she wouldn't replace any of them. To her, this team has become her family.

* * *

Naruto hates exam.

They gave her pressure and if you didn't pass them, then the teacher will scold you. They were also a waste of time in her opinion, but she always tries her best when it comes to them anyway. Never giving up was her motto. Giving up was not something a person should do in her opinion. They should just try and try again in her opinion.

But, the chunin exams weren't like the Academy exams.

It was very different from the exams that they took. She had heard rumors about those exams, rumors of how people had died in the exam. People have even gone mad or stop becoming a shinobi because of these exams. The mere idea of not being a ninja frightens her.

The possibility of no longer being a ninja seemed higher in this exam, in her opinion. That Suna boy radiated killer-intention. Naruto closes her eyes, remembering his cold-eyes. It was filled with so much hate. She clenched her hands into a fist. Those eyes told her that he has no problems of killing people.

A person like that was not someone you want attention from, but like the rash idiot she was, she did the opposite. It was for a good reason but still…she shouldn't have gotten attention at her. Her lips. A person like that should be avoided and feared.

The funny thing was that she didn't fear him because of his craze look but, the emptiness of his eyes was like a mirror of what she could be. Of what she would have been. It should be the killer-intent not that, but oddly enough it doesn't really frightened her that badly.

Looking at the mirror, Naruto wonders if wearing a new outfit was truly a good idea. The orange clothes that she wore was apart of her but, it will be stupid of her to stand out to much in the Chunin Exams.

She felt uncomfortable with the outfit she wore. It was a present that the Hokage had given her for her twelfth birthday. Wearing the red blouse and dark-black pants made her feel practically naked. She never wears clothes like this, but she didn't want to stand out to much.

She licks at her lips and glanced at the pictures, tears started to fall down from her eyes. She clenched her hands into a fist. _I will become a chunin!_ She thought as she looked out at the pictures.

"I will make you, proud!" Naruto said loudly at the pictures and with that, she made her way to the door. Ready to meet with her two teammates, who might be pissed that she's late.

* * *

Much to Naruto's surprise, her teammates had not scolded her for being late. Sasuke had simply grunted at her and arched his eyebrows at the change of attire. She scowled at his silent question and made a silent gesture to the females. He paled at her. She grinned. Oh, how she love the fact that he understand her oh so well.

Sakura, on the other hand, was being awfully quite and this troubled the young girl. It was quite rare for Sakura to be this silent and when she was, it was often troubling. The depress look on the pink-haired girl's face just made it even worse for her. Her teammate was rarely depressed so this was troubling. Maybe, it isn't a good idea for them to enter…

She shook her head and reminded herself that maybe Sakura's depression will fade during the exams.

The blonde sighed as they walked towards the room where they were supposed to turn their applications in. There had been a test on the second floor where people were tricked into thinking a different room was the right one and Sasuke nearly spilled the beans but hadn't due to her suggestions.

For once, she has gotten him to listen to her suggestion about this. Though, she had to point out to him that the less enemies that they have, the better. If that didn't work than she would have no choice but to use blackmail material or worse, tell his fangirls where his hiding spots are.

That would be funny, especially his reaction.

"Hey, guy with dark eyes!" a loud voice yelled as they reached the centre of the room.

Looking up, Naruto saw a boy wearing a repulsive green spandex jumpsuit standing on the balcony that surrounded the room.

The blond-haired girl tilted her head at the boy, shuddering at the outfit that he wore. That shows more than she needed to know! And what's the deal with the eyebrows! They were just too creepy! And how can someone grow that big anyway! It should be impossible!

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, looking at the spandex wearing boy in annoyance.

"Will you fight me right here?"

The blue-eyed girl looked at her teammate with concern and curiosity. Her teammate wouldn't be an idiot and accept the fight right! He had more sense than do something stupid! They aren't supposed to get into any fights! They need to save their energy for goodness sakes.

"A fight right now?"

"Yes."

Naruto wanted to cry. If there's one thing she knew about her friend was that he loves fights. She wanted to throttle the boy if he agrees to this. No, she will personally murder him if even he dares to accept it.

"My name is Rock Lee." Lee introduced himself as he did a front flip off of the balcony and landed gracefully "When you want to learn a person's name you introduce yourself first, right?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." Scoffed Sasuke. "Heh, so you know?"

"I want to fight you." Lee said as he did into a taijutsu stance. "I want to test my techniques against the off-spring of the genius ninja clan."

Naruto glared at her teammate and slapped him in the back of his head. "Teme, normally I'm fine with you getting into a fight but…" she glared at the two boys, "this isn't the time to get into a fight! The Chunin Exams rules specify that we don't get into any fights outside the exam! Do you want me and Sakura to get disqualified!"

"We also got thirty minutes as well." Sakura added.

"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name," Sasuke said, not paying attention to their warning. "Frankly you are a fool."

The blonde growled at his words. Naruto doesn't know anything about Lee but she knows that her teammate's already underestimating him. Kakashi had taught them time and time again, never to underestimate your opponent. It will get you killed in battle.

"You got something to say, dope!" Sasuke growled.

"Of course I got a bloody problem! The two of you are acting like a bunch of five-year olds" she said angrily, ignoring her teammate's glare. "Like I said, you can get us disqualified because of the commotion that you make! And when that happens, they will disqualify us because of your damn pride! And have you ever thought that you might get hurt!"

"So what if I get hurt and they won't disqualify you guys because of me!"

The whiskered girl trembled in anger. "SO WHAT IF YOU GET HURT! BAKA, I ALREADY THOUGHT THAT YOU DIED ONCE, DO YOU SERIOUSLY WANT ME TO SEE YOU BADLY INJURED AGAIN!" she yelled. "BEING DISQUALIFIED DOESN'T MATTER TO US, BUT IF YOU GET HURT THEN THAT MATTERS! NEITHER ME OR SAKURA WILL LIKE TO SEE YOU BADLY HURT AGAIN!"

"Naruto…"

"DON'T NARUTO ME! FIGHTING HIM WILL NOT PROVE ANYTHING!" she yelled. "IT WILL JUST PROVE THAT YOU'RE JUST SOME IDIOTIC RASH BOY THAT DOESN'T EVEN CARE ABOUT HIS SAFETY! REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WITH HAKU! HE COULD HAVE KILLED YOU BUT THANKFULLY HE DIDN'T! DON'T MAKE US GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT I DON'T WANT A FRIEND TO DIE LIKE CHO HAD! YOU KNOW VERY WELL I DON'T WANT MY FRIEND TO GET INJURED!"

Sasuke faltered at this, causing the blonde to look hopeful that her teammate will actually listen to her for once. Will he listened to her about this? Did he know the turmoil that she was in when he died! Of course not, he had been unconscious. She doesn't know what to think if he had been dead.

"He insulted my clan, Naruto, this isn't something that I can forgive! Thick brows must learn what this name means!" Sasuke said softly, looking at the blonde with an unreadable expression.

"Please…" Lee said, not helping Naruto with what he just elder boy then proceeded to make a "come hither" motion with his hand.

The blonde slapped the boy on the face, causing him to look at her in shock. Lee was simply amazed that she did something like that. Sakura pursed her lips, knowing that her teammate was seriously angry with Sasuke with what he was doing.

"SO WHAT IF HE INSULTS YOUR CLAN! YOU CAN GET YOUR PAYBACK DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXAM!" she yelled. "JUST BECAUSE HE INSULTED YOUR CLAN, DOESN'T MEAN YOU PICK A FIGHT! BE THE BIGGER PERSON AND IGNORE HIS COMMENT!"

Sakura put her hands on Naruto's shoulder and the blonde looked at her pink-haired teammate with sadness. She was tired with her teammate's behaviour. Does he ever think that she wanted him to be safe? Not to get hurt again? She doesn't want him to get hurt before the exams.

"If you even think of continuing this fight, Sasuke, I will personally make sure that you know just how much of an idiot you are." She spat. "I won't even do any first-aid on you if you get hurt that will be punishment for being a idiot!"

Sasuke nodded numbly while Sakura looked ready to protest at her words, about not healing the Uchiha heir. Didn't she realize that it would be her chance to get Sasuke to notice her? And why shouldn't they heal him? He was their teammate and deserves to get treatment for the wounds that he might have.

Her eyes drifted towards the balcony. Something tells her that she was being watched by somebody but, who? No, a better question was why would someone want to watch her?

Naruto have the darkest feeling that the Chunin Exam will change her life and maybe not for the better.

* * *

**A/N:**

Well, this is the sixth chapter of Unpredictable but unfortunately this chapter and the next won't have any Naruto or Gaara interaction. However, the eighth chapter will be full of interaction between them. Now, as you can see the sister that I wrote isn't Hinata but it is a character's sister. If anyone can guess whose sister, they will have a special shout out.

I will also like to hear your thoughts about Team Seven. I hope that I didn't make them annoying or anything. I also hoped that you like the yelling that Naruto did to Sasuke.

R&R


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except for the plot.

**Author Note:** I know that it has been a while since I updated this story and I'm proud to announce that this is the seventh chapter of Unpredictable. This may be one of the longest chapters in this fic and I do hope that you will enjoy this chapter. I will like to say a special shoutout to Venas, Em, and Windninja1000 for figuring out who Cho's older sister is.

* * *

"I told you so."

Sasuke glared at the smiling blonde, whose hands were in her pockets. The older boy had bruises in his arms and as Naruto said, she didn't heal him and certainly forbid Sakura from healing him. It was his own fault for being an idiot. How many times has she told him not to get injured? More then fifty times, that's for certain.

"You don't have to keep rubbing it in."

"I have some right." Naruto retorted. "I told you that it was a stupid thing to do but, did you listen?"

"Hn."

"Exactly." Naruto snapped. "You deserve those bruises. I hope that it will teach you a lesson of not being an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Yes, you're." She snapped. "Have you ever thought that we might need you for the exam?"

"You would be fine."

"It's also your fault that we had to meet that insane man!" Naruto continued, glaring at him. "Now, I need to wash my eyes from those disgusting images."

"Not my fault."

"It seems like the two of you are having your lover quarrel again." A familiar voice said in amusement.

The two of them stopped arguing and turned to yell at the person, who said that, but only to find out that it was their sensei. Naruto blinked and opened her mouth, but no words formed. She certainly didn't expect to see him here and a small part of her wonders if he knew what happened earlier with Lee and that disgusting old man.

She gulped as she remembered the horror of watching the two males hugging each other. Those two showed her things that she certainly didn't want to see. Just the mere memory of the two of them hugging made her want to vomit. They were that disgusting.

"Why does Naruto look like she wants to vomit?" Kakashi asked.

"Because I saw a grown man hugged his student, with some crazy jutsu."

"I see." Kakashi said, in amusement. "You met Gai didn't you?"

"Oh is that his name?"

"Weren't you paying attention when he was introducing himself?' Sakura asked.

The blonde blinked her eyes and muttered. "I must have been trying to erase those vile images from my brain."

Kakashi smiled sympathetically at her, looking as if he understood her pain. She honestly doubt that he does. He wasn't there watching a grown man hugging a boy for a good five minutes. It made her want to hurl her lunch content out. Almost as bad as eating vegetables but even worse if that's even possible. It took all of her will-power not to make a sarcastic comment and god, did she ever wanted to run away when they showed that horrible sun-jutsu.

"Now we can properly take the exam." Kakashi said, returning their attention back to him.

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.

"I guess it means that he was lying to us again. You were lying to us earlier, weren't you?" Naruto accused. "You always lie to us, from your hobbies to where you are."

"I didn't lie to you." Kakashi said. "I just didn't tell you that the test is meant to be taken in teams of three."

"Isn't that basically lying to us?" Naruto asked to her teammates before giving Sasuke a pointed look.

Sakura nodded her head while Sasuke started to rub his injured body, not looking directly at her eyes. She sighed. That damn bastard was truly stubborn about admitting that he's in pain. It's because of his need to get stronger that he almost, made them got disqualify. She had nearly wanted to take him to the hospital but she didn't. He's going to learn his lesson.

Now, they might not enter the exams because of his injuries.

"If I told the truth, Naruto or Sasuke would have pressured you to take the exam-" that made her return her attention back to her sensei.

"Do I look like the type of person who would pressured someone to do something, they wouldn't do?" Naruto asked, glaring at her sensei.

"Honestly…"

"Yes." Sakura and Sasuke said in unison.

"You're bunch of jerks." Naruto said, pouting at her two smirking teammates.

"Anyways." Kakashi said, returning the three genins to the topic at hand. "Even if Sasuke asked you, you would through it wasn't in your heart. For the sake of Sasuke and…well…Naruto…too."

"I'm glad to see that I'm an afterthought." Naruto muttered. "I feel so much love from my sensei and my teammates."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and nudged her, causing her to raise her eyebrows at him. He pointed at Kakashi and Sakura, who were now in a heavily discussion about what would happened if she hadn't arrived. She sighed. It would have been so troublesome if Sakura hadn't arrived but at least Sasuke wouldn't have been so much of an idiot. Still, he was her friend. An arrogant friend at times but still he was her friend.

"But you came of your own will and I'm proud that all of you are in my team." Kakashi said, giving them one of his infamous smiles. "Now go."

"We're proud to have an old man like you for a sensei," Naruto said, grinning cheekily at her sensei. "But we do wish that you cut down on the porn. You know you won't ever get a girlfriend if you read those books."

Kakashi sighed while Sakura and Sasuke snickered under their breath at the comment that Naruto had made. Leave it to their teammate to insult their sensei.

Sakura and Sasuke will never admit that the comment was able to quench any fear that they have.

* * *

Upon entering the classroom, Naruto was amazed at the sight in front of her. The number of shinobis was definitely impressive. There must be over a hundred people in the room.

A small scowl made its way on her face as she realized that this meant there was more competition.

"What's this?" Sakura asked after she gotten over her shock.

The blue-eyed girl sighed and answered quietly. "There's too much competition that's for certain…we'll need to plan carefully for the exams. We can't allow ourselves be outdone by them."

Sakura hesitated and nodded. "They seem so strong."

"I presume they would be." Naruto agreed. "Question is…who's the one that we should look out for the most?"

"They all seem to be people that we should look out." Sakura said.

"Perhaps." Naruto agreed wearily. She suddenly stiffened when she felt a familiar chakra approaching towards their team. Why now? She didn't want to hear arguing and she certainly doesn't want to be used as a shield. Sasuke was a damn coward when it came to his fangirls.

_One…. two…. three,_ Naruto thought as she went to stand beside Sakura. She was not going to allow herself become his shield. There was no way in hell that she will stand beside him when his more enthusiastic fangirls were nearby. It was like asking a death wish. Sakura was an exception; she was becoming tolerable when it came to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! You are late!" Ino yelled as she jumped onto Sasuke's back. Naruto chuckled at the sight of her friend looking at her for help. She tapped her finger thoughtfully, gazing at Ino and then to Sasuke. Was she feeling nice to help him with this? He did cause trouble. Then again, Ino can be quite a handful.

"I haven't seen you for a while so I have been waiting in excitement." Ino said, smiling at Sasuke. Naruto laughed, causing the black-haired boy to scowl at her. She chuckled and decided for his sake that she will save him.

"Ino, get your hands off my teammate." Naruto said, smiling kindly at her.

"Why should I?"

"Well, if you don't then I can always give Sasuke those pictures that…"

Ino flushed deep red and stuttered. "W-What p-pictures?"

"You know the pictures that you took of him witho-"

"Alright."

The platinum blond immediately jumped off of Sasuke's back, causing the blonde to grin at him. He scowled and rubs the dust off before, giving her a curious glance. She shrugged her shoulders and mouthed to him that she will tell him later.

"Thank you for getting Ino-pig off Sasuke-kun's back, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, glaring at Ino. "And haven't I told you to stay away from Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig!"

"Why if it isn't Sakura…" Ino said, scowling at her ex-best friend. "Big ugly forehead as usual…"

"Don't you miss the old days, Sasuke?" Naruto asked as she grinned at the sight of the two ex-best friends arguing. No matter how it looks, it always seemed so funny but pathetic that the two of them are fighting over him. Still, she was slightly disappointed in them. This was not the way a kunoichi should act.

"Are you guys taking this stupid test too? Don't die…" Shikamaru said as he walked up to them alongside Choji, who was eating a bag of chips. Naruto could not remember a day when the Akimichi heir didn't have a bag of chips in his hand.

"You know your laziness is contagious right? I think half-of-the time, your bad behavior rubbed off on me." Naruto said, grinning at him. "But if it so stupid to you then why are you taking it? I thought tests like these are very troublesome."

"Troublesome women."

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say your mother nagged you into coming here?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Damn, I feel sorry for you. Your mom nags a lot, which makes me wonder how do you survive?"

"I wonder too."

"Ino had also annoyed him to join the Chunin exams too." Choji supplied, offering her a chip. She grinned at him and took a chip. "Apparently she heard it from Sakura, who told her that your team was going to be in it."

"I apologize for my teammate, Shikamaru for being the cause of you being here." Naruto said sympathetically. "I know it must be troublesome…but think of it like this, become a chunin and your mom won't nag you that much."

"That will be a dream."

"….Ugly-forehead." Ino yelled.

"Ino-pig!"

Naruto shook her head and said. "Tell me, how do you survive Ino?"

"You don't know the half of it!" Shikamaru said.

"I can guess." Naruto said, tilting her head at the arguing pair. Ino glared at them but it didn't faze them, all three of them were use to her glares. Naruto had to deal with those glares whenever she used to spend so much time with Sasuke. Those were the days. Only her, Sasuke and Hinata spending time together. Hinata and her will try to find new plans to hide Sasuke from his craze fangirls.

"What did you say, chubby!" Ino yelled.

Naruto clenched her hands into a fist but didn't do anything. "I rather be chubby then some blind idiot that will get her teammates killed! Honestly, you never change! Always superficial and vain! You're never going to get far! It's because of this Sasuke will never look at you! Besides…I'm curvy not fat."

"At least, people like me unlike you." Ino yelled. "And you're chubby, don't convince yourself otherwise."

Naruto held Sasuke back, knowing her friend was going to lose his temper. Nobody knows it but her friend does have a bad temper. He does hide it better than anyone. It was times like these that she is reminded that even Sasuke can act rash and will foolishly cause too much trouble. He will always be rash but now-of-days he is less rash.

"Listen to me, bitch." Naruto spat. "Insult me one more time and I'll show you again why I always beat you in spars…also you know kunoichis that do diets are considered idiots."

"At least I know that I can get a boy!" Ino spat.

"I don't give a damn about boys." Naruto retorted. "I prefer to be a good kunoichi and not be boy crazy like you and the other fangirls…you're the reason why people look down on kunoichi."

"We're not boy crazy!" Sakura and Ino yelled.

The blond girl chuckled and said, "Did I say you were? I simply said that I would rather be a good kunoichi then be boy crazy, I didn't say you guys were."

"I wonder what type of boy will like you."

Sasuke looked at Naruto and sighed. His best friend had a calm face but he knows better than anyone that she was hurt and angry. He didn't know what to say to her. He wasn't good in conveying his emotions and he certainly doesn't know how to confess his feelings towards her.

"Yahoo! Found you!" a rather loud voice yelled.

Naruto's attention turned to an approaching Kiba Inuzuka, who was grinning. His teammates, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuga were close behind.

"Can you be any louder?" Naruto asked, rubbing her forehead at them. "You know damn well that your voice causes me headache."

"You've to forgive him, Naruto-chan." Hinata said, smiling apologetically.

"I've too." Naruto said, grinning at her friend. "Especially since you got…"

"N-Naruto!" Hinata squeaked, covering her friend's mouth from saying anymore. "I told you not to tell anyone."

"Why not?" she retorted. "You're going to talk about it aren't you? The very least I should do is make it known."

"You look a lot nicer in that outfit." Kiba said, grinning at her. "I'm glad to see that you decided to get rid of the orange."

The blonde sighed at him and looked at Sasuke to see if he agreed. The black-haired boy reluctantly nodded his head and Naruto scowled. Did she really look that awful with that orange jumpsuit? It was so comfy and she honestly thought that it look nice on her. Maybe, she should really get rid of that outfit. Then again, where can she buy new outfit? Her eyes widen in horror as she realize that she was acting like she cared about her clothes.

"I see…all 9 of this year's rookie genin are taking the exam." Kiba said, realizing that everyone was gathered here. He had been too distracted by the sight of Naruto's change of outfit. "I wonder how far we will get…eh Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn…you seem confidant, Kiba." Sasuke said, smirking at the feral boy. Ino and Sakura were glaring at Kiba as the two boys were having their conversation.

"We did a lot of training so we won't loose to you!" Kiba boasted, grinning at the raven-haired teen. Naruto shook her head at the two boys and wondered what was it with boys and their egos.

"If you can't beat me then how the hell can you beat Sasuke?" Naruto retorted. "If you can beat me during the exams then you can have a chance against Sasuke."

"Right…" Kiba said. "The day I see you beat my ass is the day hell freeze over."

"Then hell is going to freeze over." Naruto retorted. "Because I can and will continue to beat you."

The two of them grinned before the blonde scanned the room for familiar faces. She smiled at the sight of Lee and his teammates. It seemed like his teammates were Hinata's cousin and…_Tenten. _Naruto smile disappears and it was soon replaced with a frown. She might be fighting Cho's sister in the Chunin exam. The girl hates her. She blames her for her sister's death, which was really her fault. Can she really fight her?

Yes.

The very least she can do is fight against her, even if it will be painful.

The question is can she look her in the eyes?

She shook her head and then returned back to scanning the room. Naruto felt her lips curl into a small frown when she saw the familiar sight of Gaara and his teammates. There was something about him that makes her feel like she has a connection with him. He also scares the crap out of her, especially with his cold eyes. They were the eyes of a killer.

She must have been staring at him for a long time because the redhead boy turned his head and looked at her. They stare at each other; both of them daring each other to break away from the staring but neither of them broke away.

As she waited for him to stop staring, Naruto took her time, analysing the boy that she promised to help. He was kind of cute, especially with his eye colour but…he was just too distant. Too much of a reminder of what she could be. He was so much like a reflection. A reflection that she is frighten of. She didn't want to end up like him.

He threatened his own teammates. What kind of person does that?

"…I am Kabuto." The white haired Konoha genin with glasses and a set of purple clothes said, snapping her attention from Gaara. "But instead of that, look behind you."

"Behind?" Sakura asked as she turned her head to look at the genins behind them. The genins behind her looked ready to kill them. The pink haired girl gulped and unconsciously went to stand beside Naruto.

"They look friendly." Naruto said sarcastically. "Next thing we know, they will invite us for a bowl of ramen because they're that friendly."

"This isn't the time to be sarcastic, chubby!"

"I rather prefer to be sarcastic, bitch." She retorted. "I'm not scared of them, I've seen worse than this."

Naruto never realized that Gaara hadn't once taken his eyes off her.

* * *

Gaara looked at the blond haired girl that seemed to be having a heated argument with her friends and teammates about something. He didn't know why he always stared at her and he certainly did not for certain about his obsession with her.

She was pretty. Not the usual pretty, but the exotic kind if he thought about it. She was also brave and said that's for certain. A girl that always seem to be smiling when she, herself just wants to cry. She was his opposite. She cared about her teammates, if what she asked would indicate. _Isn't that a little bit harsh of you to say?_ Those words always seem to run through his head along with her eyes. Her blue eyes seemed so innocent yet filled with anger as she asked him this question.

Harsh? It wasn't harsh for him to say these things. He was definitely not going to lie to Kankuro about what he will do if he doesn't shut up. Does the girl even know what it was truly like to suffer all through your life? No, she only lost her friend. She didn't understand the pain that he went through. She didn't understand the turmoil. Still…why was he obsessed with her? It just made no sense.

"G-Gaara, i-is something wrong?" Temari asked hesitantly, noticing that her younger brother seemed to be out of space. Her brother never behaved that way in his life and truthfully she was scared of this development. She sighed in relief when the redhead boy shook his head at her.

He certainly wasn't going to tell his sister about this.

* * *

Naruto yawned as she sat in the chair that she had been assigned. After the Sound genin attacked Kabuto, their proctor had shown up and reprimanded them for fighting before the exams. He had also told them to come to the front and turn in their applications so that they could be assigned a seat number for the written part of the Chunin Exams.

She glanced at the paper and grimaced at the question. There's no way that she can pass this test. Only a genius can answer these questions. She was anything, but a genius. Which leads to her current dilemma. How the hell was she going to pass this test?

Cheating seems to be the only option for her.

"There are many important rules to this first test." Their protector at the front of the class said as he wrote on the board. "I will write it on the board while I explain, but questions will not be allowed, so listen carefully. The first rule is that you guys will all start off with ten points. The test is made up of ten questions an each one is worth a point but…this test use a subtraction system."

_I don't like the sound of this._ Naruto thought wearily as the protector explained how the subtraction system works in this exam. She grimaced at the explanation, tapping her feet in annoyance. This system was truly a pain in the ass. She can't loose all of her points. She just can't. Loosing them is not an option.

"The second rule…this is a team test. Whether you pass or not will be determined by the combined score of your teammates." Ibiki said, drawing Naruto's attention back to him. "So each team will compete to see how many points they can hold on to form the initial team total of thirty."

The blonde didn't know whether to laugh or to cry in despair. On one hand, Kami seemed to hate her so much for this, while on the other hand she's screwed. If this had been a spar then she can pass this with no problem. But no, it has to be a written exam. This is the worse type of exam.

"Wait a second!" Sakura yelled, interrupting Ibiki from continuing the rules of the exam. "I don't understand this initial points system either, but why is it a team test?"

Naruto curled her lips. It was a curiosity. Why make it a team test, if only a few of them become chunin? It is suspicious. Something was up. There was another meaning to this test then just writing. There has to be another or else, there's no sense.

"The third rule is that during the exam… anyone caught by the testing officers doing sneaky activities, namely cheating…" Naruto frowned, wondering if it can get worse. "Will have 2 points subtracted for every offense."

_There has to be a loophole in this._ Naruto thought, leaning against her seat as she pondered over the rules.

"We will have our eyes on you guys…" the chunin in the sides informed them.

"Realized that the pathetic ones that get caught cheating will be destroying themselves." Ibiki continued, giving them a dark look. "As shinobis trying to achieve the level of chunin, be proud ninjas."

_I wonder if he knows that too much pride can get a person killed._ Naruto thought as she scans the room. Her eyes linger on the calm, redhead. There were still no emotions in his eyes. It was just like a calm sea, making her wonder what will happen if he gets angry. Will he really kill someone? Was he that heartless?

"The exam will last one hour. Ok…" Ibiki said. He scanned the room to look at their faces and nodded at their petrified expressions. "Begin!" he yelled.

Naruto immediately turned her face and looked blankly at the test paper. What can she do? Cheating was out. She doesn't have any jutsu that allow her to cheat without being seen. She rubbed her chin. This was really her dilemma. So what can she do?

Nothing that's what.

Her jutsu has too much chance of her getting caught. If it had been teamwork then perhaps, she could do it. However, she doesn't have a jutsu that will allow her to connect with her teammate. This makes it very difficult for her to make a strategy.

She really is screwed.

Her eyes flicker towards the clock and she sighed. Only another fifty minutes to go before this stupid exam is over. She will place all her bets on the last question. With that thought, Naruto decided to catch up on well-deserved sleep.

* * *

Ibiki stared at the genins in front of him and thought about this bunch of genins and the ones that stand out to him. The Suna boy definitely stands out for being very calm during the course of the first exam. He also stood out for watching their village pariah.

Naruto Uzumaki was very different from what he had expected. He had expected the girl to panic at the very least, due to the questions. Instead, she was calm and was even sleeping during the exam. He wonders if she had been using any technique to gather the information.

The blonde was also quite smart if what Kakashi saying was true. He could see the reason why. The young girl was different from the rest of the girls in Konoha and, that's a good thing.

He had watched all the genins as they entered the classroom. He observed their behaviours, particularly the girls. They always seemed to find new ways to cause trouble. Arguing about boys and other troublesome things. This girl didn't. She argued about boys yes, but because the Uchiha heir wanted her to save him. She was quite reluctant but she did it anyway. The girl care about her teammate to do something she didn't want.

Looking at the clock, Ibiki saw that it was time for him to ask the tenth and final question to the genins. It was going to be fun if he dare say so himself but not so much for them.

"Ok, and now we will begin the tenth question." Ibiki said. "Now…before we get to it…I would like to go over added rules for this questions."

He kept his face calm at the sight of the shock looks from the genin's face. Only the Suna boy was not shock, having a stoic expression at his words. The rest were simply gaping at him.

"These are the rules of desperation…" Ibiki continued after the genins drank in the new piece of information. "First, for the tenth question…you must decide whether to take it or not."

"What happens if we choose not to?" A Suna girl asked immediately.

"If you choose not to, your points will be reduced to zero…you fail! Along with your teammates." Ibiki said. The looks on their faces just made his day but the small frown on Naruto's face made him curious. What on earth was the girl thinking?

"Why won't we want to answer the question? It will be foolish of us not to answer the question." Naruto commented, frowning. "What's so bad about the other option that will make us not want to answer it?"

"Well because of the other rule…" Ibiki said, informing them. "If you choose to take it and answer incorrectly…that person will lose the right to take the Chunin Exam again."

Naruto frown deepened at his announcement and for a moment, she looked at him with suspicion and anger. It seemed like the girl was acting like the others. That's a good thing. Through her killing intent was not on par with a chunin but, it was close to it.

"What kind of rule is that?" the Inuzuka yelled. "There are guys here who have taken the exam before!"

Ibiki gave them a dark look and said, "You guys were unlucky. This year it is my rules." He then continued. "But I am giving you a way out. Those that aren't confident can choose not to take it…and try again next year."

"Those that do not wish to take it, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, leave," Ibiki said. He watched for the next several minutes as the participants quit, one after another.

To his surprise, he saw that the Hyuga heiress was raising her hands even through it was hesitant. He did not expect that to happen and he definitely did not expect what was about to happen next.

"I'm not going to give up, you can bet your ass about that." She slapped the desk with a palm of her hand. "It will take a lot more then that to make me give up! Because I'm not going to quit these exams! That's my nindo way."

Ibiki was taken back at her words and looked around the room. To his surprise, all the genins in the room was filled with determination at her words. "Don't you wish to become one of the strongest kunoichi in this village. How are you going to achieve that if you don't become a chunin?"

"Chunin is just a rank." She said, grinning at him. "It doesn't mean a thing. I can still be a genin but be the strongest kunoichi in this whole village. So, you can bet your scarred face that I will become the strongest kunoichi in this village."

The scarred man looked around and saw that all the competitors were still determined. He sighed and realized that there was no point for him to drag it any longer.

"Good decision. Now to everyone still remaining… I congratulate you on passing the first test!" Ibiki said.

The blonde frowned, tapping her finger on the table. Her eyes were darting around the room. Ibiki noticed that her eyes seemed to linger on the red-haired Suna boy. That's interesting. From what Kakashi said, the girl has no interest in boys. Blind to know if a boy likes her as he tells the rest of the jounin. This was an interesting thing to see.

"What do you mean?" The pink-haired girl asked, looking at him in shock. "We already pass? What about the tenth question?"

"Better question is why would you make us doubt ourselves?" Naruto asked, fixing her gaze at him. "What's the point of making us doubt about answering the tenth question? And as Sakura ask, what about the tenth question?"

"There never was such a thing… or you could say that those two choices were the tenth question," Ibiki said. "Those two choices were there is to see if you will do the right thing."

"Explain further." Naruto commented. "I think I got the idea but, I'm not certain if my idea is right…so please explain."

"I will give all of you a scenario. Now about these two choices, say you guys become chunins."" Ibiki said. "Your mission is to steal a secret document. The amount of ninjas, their abilities and etc. is unknown to you. And of course there could be traps set all around you. Now do you accept, or not accept? Because you don't want to die…because you don't want your comrades hurt…can you avoid this dangerous mission? The answer is no!"

"I guess that make sense." Naruto muttered.

"What were the first nine questions for then?" a blonde Suna kunoichi asked. "Were they pointless?" She did not look very happy at the prospect of pointlessly taking an exam.

"No, they were not pointless. They served their intended purpose," Ibiki said, waving his hands at them. "To test your individual information gathering ability…that purpose."

"Information gathering?" The blond kunoichi repeated.

"First, as the rules explained…success on this test based on the whole team doing well this put pressure on each member not to mess things up for their teammates." Ibiki said. "But the questions on this test were not the types a mere genin could answer. Because of that… I am sure most of the people came to the same conclusion… that to score points…I will have to cheat."

All the genins started to whisper at this and after a couple of minutes Ibiki continued on with his explanation. "Basically… the premise of this test is to cheat. As cheating targets, we had two or so chunins who knew all the answers mixed into the crowd, to help you guys out."

"I didn't know a good way to gather the information." Naruto muttered under her breath. "That part of the exam was completely pointless."

Ibiki frowned and wonder what the girl did to complete the exam questions.

Ibiki shook his head and continued. "But those that cheat poorly, fail of course." He said as he removed his bandana. "Because…at times, information is more important than life and on missions and the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it."

All the genins looked at him in horror when they saw the burns, screw holes and scars that covered his head. They all looked ready to puke at the sight.

"If the enemy or third party notices you, than there is no guarantee the info will be accurate. I want you to remember this. Important information in your hands can be a powerful weapon for your comrades and for the village." Ibiki said. "So we had you gather information through cheating. This clearly separated those that didn't have the right abilities."

"Remember that no matter what the danger is, there are missions you can't avoid. The ability to be courageous, and survive any hardship…this is the ability needed to become a chunin captain." Ibiki continued and he soon began to become passionate. "Those who can't put their destinies on the line, who cling to the uncertain future of 'there's always next year'…and then walk away from their chance…those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly choices…they don't have the right to become chunin…that is how I feel!"

"Those who choose to take it answered the tough tenth question correctly. You will be able to survive any troubles you face in the future." Ibiki said, smiling at them. "You made it through the entrance. The first test of the Chunin Exam is now finished. I wish you guys luck."

The moment that those words left Ibiki's words, a cannon ball shot through one of the windows, shattering the window. The cannon unrolled in front of Ibiki to reveal a special jonin standing in front of a banner that read: Anko Mitarashi, Proctor of the Second Test. The special jonin was wearing a tan trench coat, a tan skirt, shin guards, and a suit of ninja mesh. She had purple hair in a spiky pony tail and brown eyes that lacked pupils.

Naruto blinked once she saw the woman and rubbed her nose. Great, they were going to deal with that perverted woman. Why her? Why was she always the one that seems to have weird people?

"You guys, this is no time to be celebrating. I am the proctor of the second test, Anko Mitarashi. Let's go now," she said. "Follow me!"

"You have bad timing," Ibiki commented.

"Seventy-five… Ibiki, you left twenty five teams?" Anko said. "Your test was way too easy this time!"

"There are a lot of outstanding ones this time," Ibiki said.

"That's fine… I'll at least cut them in half by the end of the second test," Anko said. "Ah, I'm getting excited. I'll explain everything once we've changed places. Follow me."

Naruto didn't like the smirk on the woman's face, in fact she wonders if everyone in their village was crazy. The Hokage and Kakashi had a porn collection. Apparently, Sakura's mom is obsessed with cats, as her friend will tell her. Hinata's family was strange and Sasuke's brother killed his whole family. She will be happy to meet a sane person.

She hopes that she won't become insane.

* * *

Anko Mitarashi led the remaining candidates to a fenced in forest with signs that warned them of danger plastered on the chain-linked fence. There was a booth right behind her when she stopped to face the examinees.

"Welcome to the stage for the second test, Training Ground Number Forty-Four… also known as the Forest of Death," Anko said. "You'll soon find out why it's called the Forest of Death."

"Is that suppose to scare me?" she asked. "I'll pass this test before you know it."

The examiner smiled at her angelically and even Naruto found this unsettling.

"Yes," said Anko, still smiling, "You're quite spirited aren't you?" She gave out a swift chuckle as she flicked her wrist downwards and a kunai came out, which she grabbed by the handle. The kunai flicked around so fast that in a small amount of time her movements became a blur, leaving the children watching in awe. And then with no warning at all, the small dagger-like weapon was thrown with deadly accuracy, just grazing Naruto's cheek and catching a strand of hair of another person standing behind Naruto, as it was intended.

Naruto's eyes widen as she saw that Anko disappear suddenly and reappear behind her, holding her shoulders down painfully. She stiffened when she felt the examiner lick her wound and murmur something in her ear. "Kid's like you are killed so easily" she chuckled. "Spraying that red blood I love"

Suddenly, movement caught the examiner's eye. A kunai came flying at Anko and she deftly dodged the flying weapon easily. Naruto looked around to see the source of the flying weapon, while trying to get rid of Anko's hands. She traced the sand and her lips curled into a small frowned when she saw that it was Gaara.

Why would he do this?"

"Don't touch her." He said, glaring at Anko. "So, get your hands off her."

She felt the painful weight on her shoulder lift and looked at Gaara with curiosity. _Why would you do this?_ She asked herself, gazing at him._ You seemed to have no difficulties when it came to injuries…so how is this any different?_ He looked at her with boredom.

She couldn't help but smile at him.

He looked away from her but Naruto didn't miss the fact that he turned light red. This made her curious. First Sasuke, now this guy, what the hell is going on? Why were boys turning red at the sight of her? She sighed. Boys were just so confusing, that's for certain.

Still, this boy was different from the others. He wasn't like Sasuke yet; she felt a connection with him that was similar to her friend. He seemed to be someone that she perhaps can relate too. He's different from everyone that's for certain.

"Now, before we start the second test, there's something I have to pass out. You must sign these waivers," Anko said as she held up a stack of papers and walked to the front of the crowd. "There will be deaths in this one, and if you don't sign these, then it will be all my responsibility."

That snapped her from her thoughts.

_How the hell is she so laid-back about genin dying in this test?_

"I'm going to explain the second test now. You can sign the waivers when I am done explaining it. Once you sign the waivers, each team will check in at the booth behind me.

"Simply put, you will attempt the ultimate survival test. First, I'll explain the area in which it will take place. There are forty-four locked gates around the area. Almost all of the area is composed of forest with a tower in the centre and a river that divides the forest in two, running underneath the tower. From any of the gates to the tower is a distance of approximately six miles."

_Hmm, I wonder if there's a shortcut._ Naruto thought, gazing at the forest in curiosity.

"During the survival test, you will be asked to complete a certain task using your weapons, tools, and jutsu. You will compete in a no rules scroll battle.

"You will fight over these two scrolls: the Scroll of Heaven and the Scroll of Earth. Thirteen of the teams will start out with the Scroll of Heaven. Thirteen of the teams will start out with the Scroll of Earth. Your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls.

"There's a time limit too. The test will last exactly five days long. All of your survival needs are things that you will have to worry about. I'd recommend that you watch out for man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, and poisonous plants.

_Five days! I can't survive five days with Sakura and Sasuke as my only companions._ Naruto thought. _This is going to be hell; I'll have to deal with a grunting teammate and a girl who can't survive in the forest._

"The possibility of thirteen teams passing is very unlikely. As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther and the time to rest will become shorter. The area is crawling with enemies too, so you won't get much sleep. So not only will some fail by losing the scroll, but also some will die from the harshness of the course.

"Now I'll talk about what will disqualify you. First, those that don't make it to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit will be disqualified. Second, those who lose a teammate will be disqualified. As a rule, you will be in the forest for five days, so quitting in the middle is impossible. The final rule is that you must not look inside either scroll until you make it to the tower. A chunin will be asked to handle classified information. This is to test your worthiness. That is it for the explanations.

"Exchange the three forms for your scroll. Then, choose a gate to get ready for the start.

"My parting advice to you is to try not to die," Anko said.

With that, everyone began to sign their waivers and turn them in. The waivers were turned in behind a closed booth so that the other examinees could not see which teams got what scrolls and who actually carried the scroll.

Once everyone had their scrolls, Anko said, "Follow a chunin and go to your gates. We will start in thirty minutes."

As they made their way to a gate, Sakura asked. "Do you have any idea on how to pass this exam Naruto?"

"Plenty." Naruto said. "But, can I trust that you two can survive in there?"

"Yes."

"Hn."

"You can be a spoiled brat at times, Sasuke." Naruto said. "That's why I ask."

"The plan?"

"Here's what we're going to do then," Naruto said before she began to explain.

Thirty minutes later, every team that was participating entered the Forest of Death. Naruto will always look back at that day that changed her life, for both the best and worse.

* * *

Author Note:

In the next chapter, there will be a lot of Naruto and Gaara interactions. I know there hasn't been much seen on Tenten but you will see a confrontation between Naruto and her in a couple of chapters. I hope that none of the characters were too OOC but, I find it hard to write them in character.

Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing.


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